Ecclesiastes 9:16

9:16 So I concluded that wisdom is better than might, ¹ 

but a poor man’s wisdom is despised; no one ever listens ²  to his advice. ³ 

Ecclesiastes 9:18

9:18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war,

but one sinner can destroy much that is good.

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¹ tn Or “power.”

² tn The participle form נִשְׁמָעִים (nishma’im, Niphal participle mpl from שָׁמַע, “to listen”) is used verbally to emphasize a continual, durative, gnomic action.

³ tn Heb “his words are never listened to.”