16 And I said, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded.”
Ecclesiastes 9:16
Semantically similar passages
Ecclesiastes 4:12–14
12 And though one may be overpowered, two can resist. Moreover, a cord of three strands is not quickly broken. 13 Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take a warning. 14 For the youth has come from the prison to the kin…
Ecclesiastes 6:7–9
7 All a man’s labor is for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied. 8 What advantage, then, has the wise man over the fool? What gain comes to the poor man who knows how to conduct himself before others? 9 Better what the eye can see than the wandering of desi…
Ecclesiastes 2:12–14
12 Then I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly; for what more can the king’s successor do than what has already been accomplished? 13 And I saw that wisdom exceeds folly, just as light exceeds darkness: 14 The wise man has eyes in his head, but the fool walks…
Sirach 37:19–21
19 There is one who is clever and the instructor of many, and yet is unprofitable to his own soul. (WEB) 20 There is one who is subtle in words, and is hated. He will be destitute of all food. (WEB) 21 For grace was not given to him from the Lord, because he is deprived of all wisd… (WEB)
Sirach 20:19–21
19 A man without grace is a tale out of season. It will be continually in the mouth of the ignorant. (WEB) 20 A parable from a fool’s mouth will be rejected; for he won’t tell it at the proper time. (WEB) 21 There is one who is hindered from sinning through lack. When he rests, he… (WEB)
Ecclesiastes 7:18–20
18 It is good to grasp the one and not let the other slip from your hand. For he who fears God will follow both warnings. 19 Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city. 20 Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
Sirach 11:1–2
1 The wisdom of the lowly will lift up his head, and make him sit in the midst of great men. (WEB) 2 Don’t commend a man for his good looks. Don’t abhor a man for his outward appearance. (WEB)
Proverbs 17:23–25
23 A wicked man takes a covert bribe to subvert the course of justice. 24 Wisdom is the focus of the discerning, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth. 25 A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.
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