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Ecclesiastes 9:13-18
English Standard Version
Ecclesiastes 9:13-18
English Standard Version
13 I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. 14 There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it. 15 But there was found in it (A)a poor, wise man, and he by his (B)wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. 16 But I say that (C)wisdom is better than might, though (D)the poor man's wisdom is despised and his words are not heard.
17 The words of the wise heard in (E)quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. 18 (F)Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but (G)one sinner destroys much good.
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Ecclesiastes 9:13-18
Lexham English Bible
Ecclesiastes 9:13-18
Lexham English Bible
Wisdom—Although Vulnerable—is Superior to Power
13 I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. 14 There was a small city with few people in it. A great king came and besieged it, building great siege works against it. 15 Now, a poor wise man was found in it, and he delivered the city by his wisdom. 16 So I concluded that wisdom is better than might, yet the wisdom of the poor is despised, and his words are not heard.
Wisdom—Although Vulnerable—is Superior to Folly
17 The words of the wise are heard in peace
more than the shouting of a ruler is heard among the fools.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war,
but one sinner destroys much good.
Ecclesiastes 9:13-18
New International Version
Ecclesiastes 9:13-18
New International Version
Wisdom Better Than Folly
13 I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom(A) 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.(B) 16 So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.(C)
17 The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded
than the shouts of a ruler of fools.
18 Wisdom(D) is better than weapons of war,
but one sinner destroys much good.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Lexham English Bible (LEB)
2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.