Ecclesiastes 9:9-18 ▼

9 See life with the woman whom you love all the days of your vain life, which He has given to you under the sun—all the days of your vanity; for this is your portion in life and in your labor in which you have labored under the sun.

10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no working or explaining or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.

11 I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the mighty, and neither is bread to the wise nor riches to the discerning nor favor to men who know; for time and misfortune overtake them all.

12 Moreover, man does not know his time: like fish seized in an evil net and birds seized in a trap, so the sons of men are ensnared at an evil time when it suddenly falls on them.

13 Also this I came to see as wisdom under the sun, and it was great to me.

14 There was a small city with few men in it, and a great king came to it, surrounded it, and built large siegeworks against it.

15 But there was found in it a poor wise man, and he provided a way of escape for the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man.

16 So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heard.

17 The words of the wise heard in restfulness are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.

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