Ecclesiastes 4:13
A poor man and wise is better than an eld king and fool (ish), that cannot before-see into time to coming. (A poor person who is wise, is better than an old king who is foolish, and who cannot foresee into the time to come, or who will not listen to good advice.)
Wycliffe Modern Spelling
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
Cross References
1 Kings 22:8And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, One man, Micaiah, the son of Imlah, is left, by whom we may ask the Lord; but I hate him, for he prophesieth not good to me, but evil. To whom Jehoshaphat said, King, speak thou not so. (And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is one man left, Micaiah, the son of Imlah, by whom we can ask the Lord; but I hate him, for he never prophesieth good things for me, but only evil. To whom Jehoshaphat said, O king, do not thou say such things!)
2 Chronicles 24:20Then the Spirit of the Lord clothed, or environed, Zechariah, the priest, the son of Jehoiada; and he stood in the sight of the people, and said to them, The Lord saith these things, Why break ye the commandment of the Lord, which thing shall not profit to you, and ye have forsaken the Lord, that he should forsake you? (Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Zechariah, the son of the High Priest Jehoiada; and he stood before the people, and said to them, The Lord saith these things, Why have ye broken the Lord’s commands? truly that shall not profit you; but because ye have abandoned the Lord, now he hath abandoned you.)
Proverbs 19:1Better is a poor man, that goeth in his simpleness, than a rich man biting his lips, and unwise. (Better is a poor person, who goeth in his honesty, or in his integrity, than a rich person biting his lips, and unwise.)
Proverbs 28:15A roaring lion, and an hungry bear, is a wicked prince on a poor people. (Like a roaring lion, and a hungry bear, is a wicked ruler over the poor.)
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 →