Ecclesiastes 9:18

Bible in Basic English (1941)

Wisdom is better than instruments of war, but one sinner is the destruction of much good.

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • Josh 7:1 : 1 But the children of Israel did wrong about the cursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the family of Judah, took of the cursed thing, moving the Lord to wrath against the children of Israel.
  • Josh 7:5 : 5 The men of Ai put to death about thirty-six of them, driving them from before the town as far as the stoneworks, and overcoming them on the way down: and the hearts of the people became like water.
  • Josh 7:11-12 : 11 Israel has done wrong, sinning against the agreement which I made with them: they have even taken of the cursed thing; acting falsely like thieves they have put it among their goods. 12 For this reason the children of Israel have given way, turning their backs in flight before their attackers, because they are cursed: I will no longer be with you, if you do not put the cursed thing away from among you.
  • 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.
  • 2 Thess 2:8-9 : 8 And then will come the revelation of that evil one, whom the Lord Jesus will put to death with the breath of his mouth, and give to destruction by the revelation of his coming; 9 Even the one whose coming is marked by the working of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10 And with every deceit of wrongdoing among those whose fate is destruction; because they were quite without that love of the true faith by which they might have salvation. 11 And for this cause, God will give them up to the power of deceit and they will put their faith in what is false: 12 So that they all may be judged, who had no faith in what is true, but took pleasure in evil.
  • 2 Tim 2:16-18 : 16 But take no part in wrong and foolish talk, for those who do so will go farther into evil, 17 And their words will be like poisoned wounds in the flesh: such are Hymenaeus and Philetus; 18 Men whose ideas are all false, who say that the coming back from the dead has even now taken place, overturning the faith of some.
  • 2 Tim 3:8 : 8 And as James and Jambres went against Moses, so do these go against what is true: men of evil minds, who, tested by faith, are seen to be false.
  • 2 Tim 4:3-4 : 3 For the time will come when they will not take the true teaching; but, moved by their desires, they will get for themselves a great number of teachers for the pleasure of hearing them; 4 And shutting their ears to what is true, will be turned away to belief in foolish stories.
  • Titus 1:10-11 : 10 For there are men who are not ruled by law; foolish talkers, false teachers, specially those of the circumcision, 11 By whom some families have been completely overturned; who take money for teaching things which are not right; these will have to be stopped.
  • Heb 12:15-16 : 15 Looking with care to see that no man among you in his behaviour comes short of the grace of God; for fear that some bitter root may come up to be a trouble to you, and that some of you may be made unclean by it; 16 And that there may not be any evil liver, or any man without respect for God, like Esau, who let his birthright go for a plate of food.
  • Josh 22:20 : 20 Did not Achan, the son of Zerah, do wrong about the cursed thing, causing wrath to come on all the people of Israel? And not on him only came the punishment of death.
  • 1 Sam 14:28-29 : 28 Then one of the people said to him, Your father put the people under an oath, saying, Let that man be cursed who takes any food this day. And the people were feeble, needing food. 29 Then Jonathan said, My father has made trouble come on the land: now see how bright my eyes have become because I have taken a little of this honey.
  • 1 Sam 14:36-46 : 36 And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, attacking them till the morning, till there is not a man of them living. And they said, Do whatever seems right to you. Then the priest said, Let us come near to God. 37 And Saul, desiring directions from God, said, Am I to go down after the Philistines? will you give them up into the hands of Israel? But he gave him no answer that day. 38 And Saul said, Come near, all you chiefs of the people, and let us get word from God and see in whom is this sin today. 39 For, by the living Lord, the saviour of Israel, even if the sinner is Jonathan, my son, death will certainly be his fate. But not a man among all the people gave him any answer. 40 Then he said to all Israel, You be on one side, and I with Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people said to Saul, Do whatever seems good to you. 41 Then Saul said to the Lord, the God of Israel, Why have you not given me an answer today? If the sin is in me or in Jonathan my son, O Lord God of Israel, give Urim, and if it is in your people Israel, give Thummim. And by the decision of the Lord, Saul and Jonathan were marked out, and the people went free. 42 And Saul said, Give your decision between my son Jonathan and me. And Jonathan was taken. 43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, Give me an account of what you have done. And Jonathan gave him the story and said, Certainly I took a little honey on the end of my rod; and now death is to be my fate. 44 And Saul said, May God's punishment be on me if death is not your fate, Jonathan. 45 And the people said to Saul, Is death to come to Jonathan, the worker of this great salvation for Israel? Let it not be so: by the living Lord, not one hair of his head is to be touched, for he has been working with God today. So the people kept Jonathan from death. 46 Then Saul, turning back, went after the Philistines no longer: and the Philistines went back to their place.
  • 2 Sam 20:1-2 : 1 Now by chance there was present a good-for-nothing person named Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he, sounding the horn, said, We have no part in David, or any interest in the son of Jesse: let every man go to his tent, O Israel. 2 So all the men of Israel, turning away from David, went after Sheba, the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah were true to their king, going with him from Jordan as far as Jerusalem.

Similar Verses (AI)

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

  • Eccl 9:15-17
    3 verses
    77%

    15 Now there was in the town a poor, wise man, and he, by his wisdom, kept the town safe. But no one had any memory of that same poor man.

    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.

  • Eccl 7:19
    76%

    19 Wisdom makes a wise man stronger than ten rulers in a town.

  • Eccl 1:18
    73%

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

  • Eccl 9:13
    72%

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

  • Prov 19:8
    72%

    8 He who gets wisdom has love for his soul: he who keeps good sense will get what is truly good.

  • Prov 10:19
    72%

    19 Where there is much talk there will be no end to sin, but he who keeps his mouth shut does wisely.

  • Prov 10:13-14
    2 verses
    72%

    13 In the lips of him who has knowledge wisdom is seen; but a rod is ready for the back of him who is without sense.

    14 Knowledge is stored up by the wise, but the mouth of the foolish man is a destruction which is near.

  • Prov 8:11
    71%

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

  • Eccl 7:11
    71%

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

  • Eccl 7:5
    71%

    5 It is better to take note of the protest of the wise, than for a man to give ear to the song of the foolish.

  • Prov 19:1-3
    3 verses
    71%

    1 Better is the poor man whose ways are upright, than the man of wealth whose ways are twisted.

    2 Further, without knowledge desire is not good; and he who is over-quick in acting goes out of the right way.

    3 By his foolish behaviour a man's ways are turned upside down, and his heart is bitter against the Lord.

  • Prov 21:22
    70%

    22 A wise man goes up into the town of the strong ones, and overcomes its strength in which they put their faith.

  • Prov 14:8
    70%

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

  • Prov 10:23
    70%

    23 It is sport to the foolish man to do evil, but the man of good sense takes delight in wisdom.

  • Prov 24:6-7
    2 verses
    70%

    6 For by wise guiding you will overcome in war: and in a number of wise guides there is salvation.

    7 Wisdom is outside the power of the foolish: he keeps his mouth shut in the public place.

  • Prov 3:13
    70%

    13 Happy is the man who makes discovery of wisdom, and he who gets knowledge.

  • Prov 12:18
    70%

    18 There are some whose uncontrolled talk is like the wounds of a sword, but the tongue of the wise makes one well again.

  • Prov 20:18
    70%

    18 Every purpose is put into effect by wise help: and by wise guiding make war.

  • Prov 13:10
    70%

    10 The only effect of pride is fighting; but wisdom is with the quiet in spirit.

  • Prov 14:33
    70%

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

  • Prov 29:8-9
    2 verses
    70%

    8 Men of pride are the cause of violent acts in a town, but by wise men wrath is turned away.

    9 If a wise man goes to law with a foolish man, he may be angry or laughing, but there will be no rest.

  • Prov 13:20
    69%

    20 Go with wise men and be wise: but he who keeps company with the foolish will be broken.

  • Prov 17:10
    69%

    10 A word of protest goes deeper into one who has sense than a hundred blows into a foolish man.

  • Eccl 4:13
    69%

    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.

  • Prov 16:16
    69%

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

  • Prov 29:11
    69%

    11 A foolish man lets out all his wrath, but a wise man keeps it back quietly.

  • Prov 13:6
    69%

    6 Righteousness keeps safe him whose way is without error, but evil-doers are overturned by sin.

  • Prov 14:17
    69%

    17 He who is quickly angry will do what is foolish, but the man of good sense will have quiet.

  • Eccl 2:13
    69%

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

  • Prov 15:1
    69%

    1 By a soft answer wrath is turned away, but a bitter word is a cause of angry feelings.

  • Eccl 7:7
    69%

    7 The wise are troubled by the ways of the cruel, and the giving of money is the destruction of the heart.

  • Prov 14:29
    69%

    29 He who is slow to be angry has great good sense; but he whose spirit is over-quick gives support to what is foolish.

  • Prov 18:15
    69%

    15 The heart of the man of good sense gets knowledge; the ear of the wise is searching for knowledge.

  • Eccl 10:9-10
    2 verses
    69%

    9 He who gets out stones from the earth will be damaged by them, and in the cutting of wood there is danger.

    10 If the iron has no edge, and he does not make it sharp, then he has to put out more strength; but wisdom makes things go well.

  • Prov 11:12
    69%

    12 He who has a poor opinion of his neighbour has no sense, but a wise man keeps quiet.

  • Ps 37:16
    69%

    16 The little which the good man has is better than the wealth of evil-doers.

  • Prov 13:15-16
    2 verses
    69%

    15 Wise behaviour gets approval, but the way of the false is their destruction.

    16 A sharp man does everything with knowledge, but a foolish man makes clear his foolish thoughts.

  • Prov 4:7
    69%

    7 The first sign of wisdom is to get wisdom; go, give all you have to get true knowledge.

  • Prov 18:1
    69%

    1 He who keeps himself separate for his private purpose goes against all good sense.

  • Job 17:10
    69%

    10 But come back, now, all of you, come; and I will not see a wise man among you.

  • Prov 15:21
    69%

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