King James Version

Ecclesiastes 9:16

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

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Hebrew

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וְאָמַ֣רְתִּיveamartiand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, singular — “and say”, a completed actionH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…אָ֔נִיanimineאֲנִיpronoun, personal, 1st person, common, singular — “mine”H589II, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, [idiom] which, [idiom] who.טוֹבָ֥הtovahgoodטוֹבadjective, adjective, feminine, singular, absolute — “good”, the ordinary formH2896good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well)beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, [idiom] fair (word), (be in) favour, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving, merry, [idiom] most, pleasant,…חָכְמָ֖הchakhemahwisdomחׇכְמָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “wisdom”, the ordinary formH2451wisdom (in a good sense)skilful, wisdom, wisely, wit.מִגְּבוּרָ֑הmigvurahfrom forceגְּבוּרָהpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “from force”, the ordinary formH1369force (literally or figuratively); by implication, valor, victoryforce, mastery, might, mighty (act, power), power, strength.וְחָכְמַ֤תvechakhematand wisdomחׇכְמָהconjunction, noun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “and wisdom”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2451wisdom (in a good sense)skilful, wisdom, wisely, wit.הַמִּסְכֵּן֙hamiskenthe poorמִסְכֵּןdefinite article, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “the poor”, the ordinary formH4542indigentpoor (man).בְּזוּיָ֔הbezuyahdespiseבָּזָהverb, qal, passive participle, absolute — “despise”, a verb used as a describing wordH959to disesteemdespise, disdain, contemn(-ptible), [phrase] think to scorn, vile person.וּדְבָרָ֖יוudevarayvand causeדָּבָרconjunction, noun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and cause”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1697a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a causeact, advice, affair, answer, [idiom] any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, [phrase] chronicles, commandment, [idiom] commune(-ication), [phrase] concern(-ing), [phrase] confer, counsel, [phrase] dea…אֵינָ֥םeynamelseאַיִןparticle, negative, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “else”H369a non-entity; generally used as a negative particleelse, except, fail, (father-) less, be gone, in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable), well-nigh, without. Compare H370 (אַיִן).נִשְׁמָעִֽיםnishmaimhearשָׁמַעverb, niphal, passive participle, absolute — “hear”, a verb used as a describing wordH8085to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)[idiom] attentively, call (gather) together, [idiom] carefully, [idiom] certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, [idiom] diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), [idiom] indeed, listen, make (a) n…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Then said I: 'Wisdom is better than strength; nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

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

Young’s Literal Translation

And I said, 'Better [is] wisdom than might, and the wisdom of the poor is despised, and his words are not heard.' —

World English Bible

Then I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

Darby Translation

Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength; but the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

Douay-Rheims

And I said that wisdom is better than strength: how then is the wisdom of the poor man slighted, and his words not heard?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Then said I: 'Wisdom is better than strength; nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.'

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And I said, Wisdom is better than power: yet the wisdom of the poor man is set at nought, and his words not listened to.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εἶπα ἐγὼ, ἀγαθὴ σοφία ὑπὲρ δύναμιν· καὶ σοφία τοῦ πένητος ἐξουδενωμένη, καὶ οἱ λόγοι αὐτοῦ οὐκ εἰσακουόμενοι.