Ecclesiastes 9:18

New Living Translation

Better to have wisdom than weapons of war, but one sinner can destroy much that is good.

Parallel Translations

Update Bible Version
Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good.

New Century Version
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner can destroy much good.

New English Translation
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner can destroy much that is good.

Webster's Bible Translation
Wisdom [is] better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

World English Bible
Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good.

Amplified Bible
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

English Standard Version
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Betere is wisdom than armuris of batel; and he that synneth in o thing, schal leese many goodis.

English Revised Version
Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

Berean Standard Bible
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

Contemporary English Version
Wisdom is more powerful than weapons, yet one mistake can destroy all the good you have done.

American Standard Version
Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroyeth much good.

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

Complete Jewish Bible
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but a person who makes a mistake can destroy much good.

Darby Translation
Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroyeth much good.

Easy-to-Read Version
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one fool can destroy much good.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroyeth much good.

King James Version (1611)
Wisedome is better then weapons of warre: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

New Life Bible
Wisdom is better than objects used in war, but one sinner destroys much good.

New Revised Standard
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one bungler destroys much good.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Better is wisedome then weapons of warre: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

George Lamsa Translation
Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sin destroys much good.

Good News Translation
Wisdom does more good than weapons, but one sinner can undo a lot of good.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Better is wisdom, than weapons of war, - but, one sinner, may destroy much good.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Better is wisdom, than weapons of war: and he that shall offend in one, shall lose many good things.

Revised Standard Version
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For wysdome is better then harnesse: but one sinner alone destroyeth muche goodnesse.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Wisdom is better than weapons of war: and one sinner will destroy much good.

Christian Standard Bible®
Wisdom is better than weapons of war,but one sinner can destroy much good.

Hebrew Names Version
Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good.

King James Version
Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

Lexham English Bible
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

Literal Translation
Wisdom is better than weapons of conflict; but one sinner destroys much good.

Young's Literal Translation
Better [is] wisdom than weapons of conflict, And one sinner destroyeth much good!

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For wy?dome is better then harnesse: but one vnthrift alone destroyeth moch good.

THE MESSAGE
Wisdom is better than warheads, But one hothead can ruin the good earth.

New American Standard Bible
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

New King James Version
Wisdom is better than weapons of war; But one sinner destroys much good."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

Legacy Standard Bible
Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

Contextual Overview

¹³ Here is another bit of wisdom that has impressed me as I have watched the way our world works. ¹⁴ There was a small town with only a few people, and a great king came with his army and besieged it. ¹⁵ A poor, wise man knew how to save the town, and so it was rescued. But afterward no one thought to thank him. ¹⁶ So even though wisdom is better than strength, those who are wise will be despised if they are poor. What they say will not be appreciated for long. ¹⁷ Better to hear the quiet words of a wise person than the shouts of a foolish king. ¹⁸ Better to have wisdom than weapons of war, but one sinner can destroy much that is good.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

better: Ecclesiastes 9:16

sinner: Joshua 7:1, Joshua 7:5, Joshua 7:11, Joshua 7:12, Joshua 22:20, 1 Samuel 14:28, 1 Samuel 14:29, 1 Samuel 14:36-46, 2 Samuel 20:1, 2 Samuel 20:2, 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12, 2 Timothy 2:16-18, 2 Timothy 3:8, 2 Timothy 4:3, 2 Timothy 4:4, Titus 1:10, Titus 1:11, Hebrews 12:15, Hebrews 12:16

Reciprocal: Joshua 6:18 - make the camp 1 Samuel 14:30 - had there 1 Chronicles 12:32 - all their 2 Chronicles 33:3 - he built again Job 34:30 - General Job 35:8 - may hurt Ecclesiastes 2:21 - whose Jeremiah 41:3 - General Daniel 2:23 - who hast Jonah 1:12 - for 1 Corinthians 5:13 - Therefore

Cross-References

Genesis 9:23
Then Shem and Japheth took a robe, held it over their shoulders, and backed into the tent to cover their father. As they did this, they looked the other way so they would not see him naked.

Genesis 9:25
Then he cursed Canaan, the son of Ham: "May Canaan be cursed! May he be the lowest of servants to his relatives."

Genesis 9:27
May God expand the territory of Japheth! May Japheth share the prosperity of Shem, and may Canaan be his servant."

Genesis 10:1
This is the account of the families of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the three sons of Noah. Many children were born to them after the great flood.

Genesis 10:6
The descendants of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

1 Chronicles 1:4
and Noah. The sons of Noah were Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Wisdom [is] better than weapons of war,.... And does what they cannot do; of which the wisdom of the poor wise man is a full proof, which delivered the city from a potent prince, when weapons of war could not: see Ecclesiastes 7:10;

but one sinner destroyeth much good: his own soul by his sins, and the souls of others by his counsels, example, and conversation, which corrupt good manners; so does one sinner in a family, neighbourhood, and town; as one poor wise man does much good, one sinner mars much; one Achan in a camp or army, one bad counsel for in a cabinet, one false teacher in the church, will do a great deal of mischief, as well as one debauchee in a town or city. The Vulgate Latin version is, "who sins in one"; offends or sins in one, as in James 2:10; so the Syriac version, "one sin destroys much good", or many good things; and to the same purpose the Arabic version, "he that committeth one sin".

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Sinner - The word in the original indicates intellectual as well as moral error.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 18. Wisdom is better than weapons of war — So proved in the case of Archimedes.

But one sinner — Such as the Roman butcher above mentioned.

Destroyeth much good — Such as were the life and skill of the Syracusan mathematician. One sinner has often injured the work of God; one stumbling-block has sometimes destroyed a revival of religion. Sin acts like a ferment; whatever comes in contact with it, it assimilates to itself.