As regards anything besides these, my son, take a warning: To the making of many books there is no end, and much devotion to them is wearisome to the flesh.”​—Ecclesiastes 12:11, 12.

14. (a) To books of what kind is it not beneficial to give “much devotion”? (b) To what literature should we give prime consideration, and why?

¹⁴ Why, though, did Solomon say what he did about books? Well, compared with Jehovah’s Word, the endless volumes of this world contain mere human reasoning. Much of this thinking reflects the mind of Satan the Devil. (2 Corinthians 4:4) Therefore, “much devotion” to such secular material produces little of lasting value. In fact, a great deal of it can be spiritually detrimental. Like Solomon, let us meditate on what God’s Word says about life. This will strengthen our faith and draw us closer to Jehovah. Excessive attention to other books or sources of instruction can wear us out. Especially when such writings are the product of worldly reasoning that conflicts with godly wisdom are they unwholesome and destructive of faith in God and his purposes. So, then, let us remember that the most beneficial writings of Solomon’s day and our own are those that reflect the wisdom of the “one shepherd,” Jehovah God. He has provided the 66 books of the Holy Scriptures, and to these we should give paramount attention. The Bible and helpful publications of the ‘faithful slave’ enable us to acquire “the very knowledge of God.”​—Proverbs 2:1-6.