Ecclesiastes 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 

So I said, "Wisdom is better than strength." But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.

So I said, "Wisdom is better than strength." But the wisdom of the poor man is despised and his words are not heeded.

Then I realized that though wisdom is better than strength, those who are wise will be despised if they are poor. What they say will not be appreciated for long.

All the same, I still say that wisdom is better than muscle, even though the wise poor man was treated with contempt and soon forgotten.

Then I said, Wisdom is better than strength, but the poor man’s wisdom is not respected, and his words are not given a hearing.

So I said, "Wisdom is better than might; yet the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heeded."

Then I said: "Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, And his words are not heard.

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 

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.”