¹⁵ A poor, wise man knew how to save the town, and so it was rescued. But afterward no one thought to thank him.

The Futility of Political Power

¹³ It is better to be a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who refuses all advice.

²³ Pharaoh’s chief cup-bearer, however, forgot all about Joseph, never giving him another thought.

¹⁶ For the wise and the foolish both die. The wise will not be remembered any longer than the fool. In the days to come, both will be forgotten.

² In those records he discovered an account of how Mordecai had exposed the plot of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the eunuchs who guarded the door to the king’s private quarters. They had plotted to assassinate King Xerxes.

³ “What reward or recognition did we ever give Mordecai for this?” the king asked.

His attendants replied, “Nothing has been done for him.”

²² Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice, and they cut off Sheba’s head and threw it out to Joab. So he blew the ram’s horn and called his troops back from the attack. They all returned to their homes, and Joab returned to the king at Jerusalem.