Ecclesiastes 2:13

Bible in Basic English (1941)

Then I saw that wisdom is better than foolish ways--as the light is better than the dark.

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • Eccl 7:11-12 : 11 Wisdom together with a heritage is good, and a profit to those who see the sun. 12 Wisdom keeps a man from danger even as money does; but the value of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to its owner.
  • Matt 6:23 : 23 But if your eye is evil, all your body will be dark. If then the light which is in you is dark, how dark it will be!
  • Eph 5:8 : 8 For you at one time were dark, but now are light in the Lord: let your behaviour be that of children of light
  • Luke 11:34-35 : 34 The light of the body is the eye: when your eye is true, all your body is full of light; but when it is evil, your body is dark. 35 So take care that the light which is in you is not dark.
  • Eccl 7:19 : 19 Wisdom makes a wise man stronger than ten rulers in a town.
  • Eccl 9:16 : 16 Then I said, Wisdom is better than strength, but the poor man's wisdom is not respected, and his words are not given a hearing.
  • Eccl 9:18 : 18 Wisdom is better than instruments of war, but one sinner is the destruction of much good.
  • Eccl 11:7 : 7 Truly the light is sweet, and it is good for the eyes to see the sun.
  • Mal 3:18-4:2 : 18 Then you will again see how the upright man is different from the sinner, and the servant of God from him who is not. 1 For see, the day is coming, it is burning like an oven; all the men of pride and all who do evil will be dry stems of grass: and in the day which is coming they will be burned up, says the Lord of armies, till they have not a root or a branch. 2 But to you who give worship to my name, the sun of righteousness will come up with new life in its wings; and you will go out, playing like young oxen full of food.
  • Ps 119:105 : 105 <NUN> Your word is a light for my feet, ever shining on my way.
  • Ps 119:130 : 130 The opening of your words gives light; it gives good sense to the simple.
  • Prov 4:5-7 : 5 Get wisdom, get true knowledge; keep it in memory, do not be turned away from the words of my mouth. 6 Do not give her up, and she will keep you; give her your love, and she will make you safe. 7 The first sign of wisdom is to get wisdom; go, give all you have to get true knowledge.
  • Prov 4:18-19 : 18 But the way of the upright is like the light of early morning, getting brighter and brighter till the full day. 19 The way of sinners is dark; they see not the cause of their fall.
  • Prov 16:16 : 16 How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! and to get knowledge is more to be desired than silver.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Eccl 2:14-17
    4 verses
    86%

    14 The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the foolish man goes walking in the dark; but still I saw that the same event comes to them all.

    15 Then said I in my heart: As it comes to the foolish man, so will it come to me; so why have I been wise overmuch? Then I said in my heart: This again is to no purpose.

    16 Of the wise man, as of the foolish man, there is no memory for ever, seeing that those who now are will have gone from memory in the days to come. See how death comes to the wise as to the foolish!

    17 So I was hating life, because everything under the sun was evil to me: all is to no purpose and desire for wind.

  • Eccl 2:11-12
    2 verses
    81%

    11 Then I saw all the works which my hands had made, and everything I had been working to do; and I saw that all was to no purpose and desire for wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

    12 And I went again in search of wisdom and of foolish ways. What may the man do who comes after the king? The thing which he has done before.

  • Eccl 1:16-18
    3 verses
    78%

    16 I said to my heart, See, I have become great and am increased in wisdom more than any who were before me in Jerusalem--yes, my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge.

    17 And I gave my heart to getting knowledge of wisdom, and of the ways of the foolish. And I saw that this again was desire for wind.

    18 Because in much wisdom is much grief, and increase of knowledge is increase of sorrow.

  • Eccl 9:13
    78%

    13 This again I have seen under the sun as wisdom and it seemed great to me.

  • Eccl 7:25
    76%

    25 I gave my mind to knowledge and to searching for wisdom and the reason of things, and to the discovery that sin is foolish, and that to be foolish is to be without one's senses.

  • Eccl 1:13-14
    2 verses
    76%

    13 And I gave my heart to searching out in wisdom all things which are done under heaven: it is a hard thing which God has put on the sons of men to do.

    14 I have seen all the works which are done under the sun; all is to no purpose, and desire for wind.

  • Eccl 2:1-3
    3 verses
    75%

    1 I said in my heart, I will give you joy for a test; so take your pleasure--but it was to no purpose.

    2 Of laughing I said, It is foolish; and of joy--What use is it?

    3 I made a search with my heart to give pleasure to my flesh with wine, still guiding my heart with wisdom, and to go after foolish things, so that I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under the heavens all the days of their life.

  • Eccl 7:11
    75%

    11 Wisdom together with a heritage is good, and a profit to those who see the sun.

  • Eccl 8:16-17
    2 verses
    75%

    16 When I gave my mind to the knowledge of wisdom and to seeing the business which is done on the earth (and there are those whose eyes see not sleep by day or by night),

    17 Then I saw all the work of God, and that man may not get knowledge of the work which is done under the sun; because, if a man gives hard work to the search he will not get knowledge, and even if the wise man seems to be coming to the end of his search, still he will be without knowledge.

  • Eccl 2:19-21
    3 verses
    74%

    19 And who is to say if that man will be wise or foolish? But he will have power over all my work which I have done and in which I have been wise under the sun. This again is to no purpose.

    20 So my mind was turned to grief for all the trouble I had taken and all my wisdom under the sun.

    21 Because there is a man whose work has been done with wisdom, with knowledge, and with an expert hand; but one who has done nothing for it will have it for his heritage. This again is to no purpose and a great evil.

  • Eccl 2:9
    74%

    9 And I became great; increasing more than all who had been before me in Jerusalem, and my wisdom was still with me.

  • Eccl 6:8-9
    2 verses
    74%

    8 What have the wise more than the foolish? and what has the poor man by walking wisely before the living?

    9 What the eyes see is better than the wandering of desire. This is to no purpose and a desire for wind.

  • Prov 15:21
    74%

    21 Foolish behaviour is joy to the unwise; but a man of good sense makes his way straight.

  • Eccl 4:3
    73%

    3 Yes, happier than the dead or the living seemed he who has not ever been, who has not seen the evil which is done under the sun.

  • Prov 17:24
    73%

    24 Wisdom is before the face of him who has sense; but the eyes of the foolish are on the ends of the earth.

  • Eccl 9:16-17
    2 verses
    73%

    16 Then I said, Wisdom is better than strength, but the poor man's wisdom is not respected, and his words are not given a hearing.

    17 The words of the wise which come quietly to the ear are noted more than the cry of a ruler among the foolish.

  • Prov 14:8
    72%

    8 The wisdom of the man of good sense makes his way clear; but the unwise behaviour of the foolish is deceit.

  • Eccl 7:23
    72%

    23 All this I have put to the test by wisdom; I said, I will be wise, but it was far from me.

  • Eccl 2:25-26
    2 verses
    72%

    25 Who may take food or have pleasure without him?

    26 To the man with whom he is pleased, God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the work of getting goods together and storing up wealth, to give to him in whom God has pleasure. This again is to no purpose and desire for wind.

  • Prov 14:33
    72%

    33 Wisdom has her resting-place in the mind of the wise, but she is not seen among the foolish.

  • Eccl 3:16
    72%

    16 And again, I saw under the sun, in the place of the judges, that evil was there; and in the place of righteousness, that evil was there.

  • Job 31:26
    72%

    26 If, when I saw the sun shining, and the moon moving on its bright way,

  • Eccl 11:7-8
    2 verses
    72%

    7 Truly the light is sweet, and it is good for the eyes to see the sun.

    8 But even if a man's life is long and he has joy in all his years, let him keep in mind the dark days, because they will be great in number. Whatever may come is to no purpose.

  • Prov 14:24
    72%

    24 Their wisdom is a crown to the wise, but their foolish behaviour is round the head of the unwise.

  • Eccl 4:7
    71%

    7 Then I came back, and I saw an example of what is to no purpose under the sun.

  • Prov 8:11-12
    2 verses
    71%

    11 For wisdom is better than jewels, and all things which may be desired are nothing in comparison with her.

    12 I, wisdom, have made wise behaviour my near relation; I am seen to be the special friend of wise purposes.

  • Eccl 10:2-3
    2 verses
    71%

    2 The heart of the wise man goes in the right direction; but the heart of a foolish man in the wrong.

    3 And when the foolish man is walking in the way, he has no sense and lets everyone see that he is foolish.

  • Eccl 4:13
    71%

    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.

  • Eccl 7:4
    71%

    4 The hearts of the wise are in the house of weeping; but the hearts of the foolish are in the house of joy.

  • Eccl 6:11
    71%

    11 There are words without number for increasing what is to no purpose, but what is man profited by them?

  • Prov 16:16
    71%

    16 How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! and to get knowledge is more to be desired than silver.

  • Job 29:3
    71%

    3 When his light was shining over my head, and when I went through the dark by his light.