13 A (A)poor yet wise youth is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive [a]instruction— 14 for he has come (B)out of prison to become king, even though he was born poor in his kingdom. 15 I have seen all those living under the sun move to the side of the second youth who [b]replaces him. 16 There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them. Even the ones who will come later will not be happy with him; for this too is (C)futility and striving after wind.

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Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 4:13 Or warning
  2. Ecclesiastes 4:15 Lit stands in his place

13 Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who knoweth not how to receive admonition any more. 14 For out of prison he came forth to be king; yea, even in his kingdom he was born poor. 15 I saw all the living that walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the second, that stood up in his stead. 16 [a]There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was: yet they that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

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Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 4:16 Or, There is no end, in the mind of all the people, to all that hath been before them; they also etc.