12 No one knows what will happen next.Like a fish caught in a net,or a bird caught in a trap,people are trapped by evilwhen it suddenly falls on them.
13 I also saw something wise here on earth that impressed me.
14 There was a small town with only a few people in it. A great king fought against it and put his armies all around it.
15 Now there was a poor but wise man in the town who used his wisdom to save his town. But later on, everyone forgot about him.
16 I still think wisdom is better than strength. But those people forgot about the poor man’s wisdom and stopped listening to what he said.
17 The quiet words of a wise person are betterthan the shouts of a foolish ruler.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war,but one sinner can destroy much good.