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Ecclesiastes 9:16

WisdomStrength and help in weaknessPoverty and the vulnerable

14 There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:

15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.

Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

17 The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.

18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

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Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
And I said, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded.”
KJV
Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
WEB
Then I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
ASV
Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man`s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
DARBY
Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength; but the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
BLB
And I said, “Better [is] wisdom than might, and the wisdom of the poor one is despised, and his words are not heard.”
ÅB
Da sa jeg: Visdom er bedre enn styrke; men den fattiges visdom er foraktet, og folk hører ikke på det han sier.
OTB
Så jeg sa, “Visdom er bedre enn styrke.” Likevel er den fattige mannens visdom foraktet, og hans ord blir ikke lenger hørt.
B1930
Da sa jeg: Visdom er bedre enn styrke; men den fattiges visdom er foraktet, og folk hører ikke på det han sier.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

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