Ecclesiastes 4:13
A young man who is poor and wise is better than a king who is old and foolish and will not be guided by the wisdom of others.
Bible in Basic English
In The King James Version
Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.
In Context
12And two attacked by one would be safe, and three cords twisted together are not quickly broken.
Cross References
1 Kings 22:8And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is still one man by whom we may get directions from the Lord, Micaiah, son of Imlah; but I have no love for him, for he is a prophet of evil to me and not of good. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
2 Chronicles 24:20Then the spirit of God came on Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada the priest, and, getting up before the people, he said to them, God has said, Why do you go against the orders of the Lord, so that everything goes badly for you? because you have given up the Lord, he has given you up.
Proverbs 19:1Better is the poor man whose ways are upright, than the man of wealth whose ways are twisted.
Proverbs 28:15Like a loud-voiced lion and a wandering bear, is an evil ruler over a poor people.
Matthew Henry on Ecclesiastes 4:8-13
The Vanity of Human Wishes. 7 Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun. 8 There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail. 9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. 10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is… Read the whole commentary →