Parallel Bible results for "Ecclesiastes 9:13-16"

Ecclesiastes 9:13-16

The Message Bible MSG

13 One day as I was observing how wisdom fares on this earth, I saw something that made me sit up and take notice.

14 There was a small town with only a few people in it. A strong king came and mounted an attack, building trenches and attack posts around it.

15 There was a poor but wise man in that town whose wisdom saved the town, but he was promptly forgotten. (He was only a poor man, after all.)

16 All the same, I still say that wisdom is better than muscle, even though the wise poor man was treated with contempt and soon forgotten.

New International Version NIV

13 I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me:

14 There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siege works against it.

15 Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man.

16 So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.