Ecclesiastes 4:13
Better is a poor and a wise youth than an old and foolish king, who knoweth not how to be admonished any more.
Leeser Tanakh
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
14For out of the prison cometh the one to reign: whereas also in his kingdom the other becometh poor.
Cross References
1 Kings 22:8And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, by whom we might inquire of the Lord; but I hate him; for he will never prophesy good concerning me, but evil: [it is] Michayhu the son of Yimlah. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
2 Chronicles 24:20And the spirit of God endued Zechariah the son of Yehoyada' the priest, and he stood up above the people, and he said unto them, Thus hath said the [true] God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord? ye cannot prosper so; because [as] ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath also forsaken you.
Proverbs 19:1Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than one of perverse lips, who is a fool.
Proverbs 28:15As a roaring lion, and a greedy bear, so is a wicked ruler over an indigent 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 →