Ecclesiastes 6:8

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

So what advantage does a wise man have over a fool? And what advantage does a pauper gain by knowing how to survive?

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • Gen 17:1 : 1 The Sign of the Covenant When Abram was 99 years old, the LORD appeared to him and said,“I am the Sovereign God. Walk before me and be blameless.
  • Ps 101:2 : 2 I will walk in the way of integrity. When will you come to me? I will conduct my business with integrity in the midst of my palace.
  • Ps 116:9 : 9 I will serve the LORD in the land of the living.
  • Prov 19:1 : 1 Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is perverse in his speech and is a fool.
  • Eccl 2:14-16 : 14 The wise man can see where he is going, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also realized that the same fate happens to them both. 15 So I thought to myself,“The fate of the fool will happen even to me! Then what did I gain by becoming so excessively wise?” So I lamented to myself,“The benefits of wisdom are ultimately meaningless!” 16 For the wise man, like the fool, will not be remembered for very long, because in the days to come, both will already have been forgotten. Alas, the wise man dies– just like the fool!
  • Eccl 5:11 : 11 When someone’s prosperity increases, those who consume it also increase; so what does its owner gain, except that he gets to see it with his eyes?
  • Luke 1:6 : 6 They were both righteous in the sight of God, following all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly.
  • 1 Tim 6:17 : 17 Command those who are rich in this world’s goods not to be haughty or to set their hope on riches, which are uncertain, but on God who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment.

Similar Verses (AI)

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

  • Eccl 2:11-16
    6 verses
    81%

    11Yet when I reflected on everything I had accomplished and on all the effort that I had expended to accomplish it, I concluded:“All these achievements and possessions are ultimately profitless– like chasing the wind! There is nothing gained from them on earth.”

    12Wisdom is Better than Folly Next, I decided to consider wisdom, as well as foolish behavior and ideas. For what more can the king’s successor do than what the king has already done?

    13I realized that wisdom is preferable to folly, just as light is preferable to darkness:

    14The wise man can see where he is going, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also realized that the same fate happens to them both.

    15So I thought to myself,“The fate of the fool will happen even to me! Then what did I gain by becoming so excessively wise?” So I lamented to myself,“The benefits of wisdom are ultimately meaningless!”

    16For the wise man, like the fool, will not be remembered for very long, because in the days to come, both will already have been forgotten. Alas, the wise man dies– just like the fool!

  • Eccl 6:9-12
    4 verses
    80%

    9It is better to be content with what the eyes can see than for one’s heart always to crave more. This continual longing is futile– like chasing the wind.

    10The Futile Way Life Works Whatever has happened was foreordained, and what happens to a person was also foreknown. It is useless for him to argue with God about his fate because God is more powerful than he is.

    11The more one argues with words, the less he accomplishes. How does that benefit him?

    12For no one knows what is best for a person during his life– during the few days of his fleeting life– for they pass away like a shadow. Nor can anyone tell him what the future will hold for him on earth.

  • Eccl 6:5-7
    3 verses
    79%

    5though it never saw the light of day nor knew anything, yet it has more rest than that man–

    6if he should live a thousand years twice, yet does not enjoy his prosperity. For both of them die!

    7All of man’s labor is for nothing more than to fill his stomach– yet his appetite is never satisfied!

  • Eccl 2:19
    78%

    19Who knows if he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will be master over all the fruit of my labor for which I worked so wisely on earth! This also is futile!

  • Eccl 9:16
    77%

    16So I concluded that wisdom is better than might, but a poor man’s wisdom is despised; no one ever listens to his advice.

  • Eccl 2:21-22
    2 verses
    77%

    21For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; however, he must hand over the fruit of his labor as an inheritance to someone else who did not work for it. This also is futile, and an awful injustice!

    22Painful Days and Restless Nights What does a man acquire from all his labor and from the anxiety that accompanies his toil on earth?

  • Prov 19:1
    76%

    1Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is perverse in his speech and is a fool.

  • Eccl 1:3
    76%

    3Futility Illustrated from Nature What benefit do people get from all the effort which they expend on earth?

  • Ps 39:6
    75%

    6Surely people go through life as mere ghosts. Surely they accumulate worthless wealth without knowing who will eventually haul it away.”

  • Prov 17:16
    75%

    16What’s the point of a fool having money in hand to buy wisdom, when his head is empty?

  • Prov 15:21
    75%

    21Folly is a joy to one who lacks sense, but one who has understanding follows an upright course.

  • Eccl 2:25-26
    2 verses
    75%

    25For no one can eat and drink or experience joy apart from him.

    26For to the one who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy, but to the sinner, he gives the task of amassing wealth– only to give it to the one who pleases God. This task of the wicked is futile– like chasing the wind!

  • Eccl 10:14-15
    2 verses
    74%

    14yet a fool keeps on babbling. No one knows what will happen; who can tell him what will happen in the future?

    15The toil of a stupid fool wears him out, because he does not even know the way to the city.

  • Eccl 8:16-17
    2 verses
    74%

    16Limitations of Human Wisdom When I tried to gain wisdom and to observe the activity on earth– even though it prevents anyone from sleeping day or night–

    17then I discerned all that God has done: No one really comprehends what happens on earth. Despite all human efforts to discover it, no one can ever grasp it. Even if a wise person claimed that he understood, he would not really comprehend it.

  • Prov 14:8
    74%

    8The wisdom of the shrewd person is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deception.

  • Ps 49:10
    74%

    10Surely one sees that even wise people die; fools and spiritually insensitive people all pass away and leave their wealth to others.

  • Eccl 12:8
    74%

    8Concluding Refrain: Qoheleth Restates His Thesis“Absolutely futile!” laments the Teacher,“All of these things are futile!”

  • Eccl 7:4
    74%

    4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of merrymaking.

  • Eccl 1:17
    74%

    17So I decided to discern the benefit of wisdom and knowledge over foolish behavior and ideas; however, I concluded that even this endeavor is like trying to chase the wind!

  • Prov 28:11
    74%

    11A rich person is wise in his own opinion, but a discerning poor person can evaluate him properly.

  • Eccl 6:1-2
    2 verses
    74%

    1Not Everyone Enjoys Life Here is another misfortune that I have seen on earth, and it weighs heavily on people:

    2God gives a man riches, property, and wealth so that he lacks nothing that his heart desires, yet God does not enable him to enjoy the fruit of his labor– instead, someone else enjoys it! This is fruitless and a grave misfortune.

  • Prov 14:24
    74%

    24The crown of the wise is their riches, but the folly of fools is folly.

  • Eccl 10:3
    73%

    3Even when a fool walks along the road he lacks sense, and shows everyone what a fool he is.

  • Prov 28:6
    73%

    6A poor person who walks in his integrity is better than one who is perverse in his ways even though he is rich.

  • Eccl 4:3
    73%

    3But better than both is the one who has not been born and has not seen the evil things that are done on earth.

  • Eccl 7:6
    73%

    6For like the crackling of quick-burning thorns under a cooking pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This kind of folly also is useless.

  • Eccl 4:8
    73%

    8A man who is all alone with no companion, he has no children nor siblings; yet there is no end to all his toil, and he is never satisfied with riches. He laments,“For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is futile and a burdensome task!

  • Prov 17:24
    73%

    24Wisdom is directly in front of the discerning person, but the eyes of a fool run to the ends of the earth.

  • Eccl 5:16
    73%

    16This is another misfortune: Just as he came, so will he go. What did he gain from toiling for the wind?

  • Prov 26:12
    73%

    12You have seen a man wise in his own opinion– there is more hope for a fool than for him.

  • Eccl 3:9
    73%

    9Man is Ignorant of God’s Timing What benefit can a worker gain from his toil?

  • Eccl 4:16
    72%

    16There is no end to all the people nor to the past generations, yet future generations will not rejoice in him. This also is profitless and like chasing the wind.

  • Eccl 3:22
    72%

    22So I perceived there is nothing better than for people to enjoy their work, because that is their reward; for who can show them what the future holds?

  • Eccl 8:1
    72%

    1Human Government Demonstrates Limitations of Wisdom Who is a wise person? Who knows the solution to a problem? A person’s wisdom brightens his appearance, and softens his harsh countenance.

  • Eccl 8:7
    72%

    7Surely no one knows the future, and no one can tell another person what will happen.