Ecclesiastes 9:13-18

Evangelical Heritage Version

Wisdom Has Some Value

¹³ I also saw this example of wisdom under the sun, and it impressed me.^{[a] 14} There was a small city that had few men in it. A great king came against it, surrounded it, and built great siege works against it. ¹⁵ A poor man who was wise was found in it, and he saved the city by his wisdom, but no one remembered that poor man. ¹⁶ So I said, “Wisdom is better than might, but the wisdom of the poor man gets despised, and his words are not heeded.”

¹⁷ Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heeded more than the rant of a ruler among fools.

¹⁸ Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.