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Ecclesiastes 9:16-18
Contemporary English Version
Ecclesiastes 9:16-18
Contemporary English Version
16 So I decided that wisdom is better than strength. Yet if you are poor, no one pays any attention to you, no matter how smart you are.
17 Words of wisdom spoken softly
make much more sense
than the shouts of a ruler
to a crowd of fools.
18 Wisdom is more powerful
than weapons,
yet one mistake can destroy
all the good you have done.
Ecclesiastes 9:16-18
New International Version
Ecclesiastes 9:16-18
New International Version
16 So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.(A)
17 The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded
than the shouts of a ruler of fools.
18 Wisdom(B) is better than weapons of war,
but one sinner destroys much good.
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
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.