Most People Are Not Receptive to Wise Counsel

13 This is what I also observed about wisdom on earth,

and it is a great burden to me:

14 There was once a small city with a few men in it,

and a mighty king attacked it, besieging it and building strong siege works against it.

15 However, a poor but wise man lived in the city,

and he could have delivered the city by his wisdom,

but no one listened to that poor man.

16 So I concluded that wisdom is better than might,

but a poor man’s wisdom is despised; no one ever listens to his advice.