NET Bible
"There was once a small city with a few men in it, and a mighty king attacked it, besieging it and building strong siege works against it."
— Ecclesiastes 9:14, NET Bible
“There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:”
“There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it. ”
“There was a little city, and few men within it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it.”
“A little city, and few men in it: there came against it a great king, and invested it, and built bulwarks round about it, and the siege was perfect.”
“There was a little town and the number of its men was small, and there came a great king against it and made an attack on it, building works of war round about it.”
“There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:”
Wisdom Cannot Protect against Seemingly Chance Events Again, I observed this on the earth: the race is not always won by the swiftest, the battle is not always won by the strongest; prosperity does not always belong to those who are the wisest, wealth does not always belong to those who are the most discerning, nor does success always come to those with the most knowledge– for time and chance may overcome them all.
Surely, no one knows his appointed time! Like fish that are caught in a deadly net, and like birds that are caught in a snare– just like them, all people are ensnared at an unfortunate time that falls upon them suddenly.
Most People Are Not Receptive to Wise Counsel This is what I also observed about wisdom on earth, and it is a great burden to me:
There was once a small city with a few men in it, and a mighty king attacked it, besieging it and building strong siege works against it.
However, a poor but wise man lived in the city, and he could have delivered the city by his wisdom, but no one listened to that poor man.
So I concluded that wisdom is better than might, but a poor man’s wisdom is despised; no one ever listens to his advice.
Wisdom versus Fools, Sin, and Folly The words of the wise are heard in quiet, more than the shouting of a ruler is heard among fools.