Advancement Is Meaningless

13 Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning. 14 The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. 15 I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king’s successor. 16 There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

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13 Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who will no longer take advice.(A) 14 One can indeed come out of prison to reign, even though born poor in the kingdom.(B) 15 I saw all the living who, moving about under the sun, follow that[a] youth who replaced the king;[b] 16 there was no end to all those people whom he led.[c] Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. 4.15 Heb the second
  2. 4.15 Heb him
  3. 4.16 Heb who were before them