9Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of vanity, which he has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity, for that is your portion in life, and in your labour in which you labour under the sun.
10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor plan, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going.
11I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.
12For man also doesn’t know his time. As the fish that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly on them.
13I have also seen wisdom under the sun in this way, and it seemed great to me.
14There was a little city, and few men within it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it.
15Now a poor wise man was found in it, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
16Then I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
17The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him who rules amongst fools.
18Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good.
Ecclesiastes 9
Ecclesiastes 9:9-18