Ecclesiastes 9:11

New King James Version

¹¹I returned ^(A)and saw under the sun that—

The race is not to the swift,
Nor the battle to the strong,
Nor bread to the wise,
Nor riches to men of understanding,
Nor favor to men of skill;
But time and ^(B)chance happen to them all.

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Ecclesiastes 9:11

New American Standard Bible

¹¹I again saw under the sun that the ^(A)race is not to the swift and the ^(B)battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor ^(C)wealth to the discerning, nor favor to the skillful; for time and ^(D)chance overtake them all.

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Ecclesiastes 9:11

Amplified Bible

¹¹I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the strong, and neither is bread to the wise nor riches to those of intelligence and understanding nor favor to men of ability; but time and chance overtake them all.^(A)

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Ecclesiastes 9:11

New Living Translation

¹¹I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time.

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Ecclesiastes 9:11

The Message

¹¹I took another walk around the neighborhood and realized that on this earth as it is—

The race is not always to the swift,
Nor the battle to the strong,
Nor satisfaction to the wise,
Nor riches to the smart,
Nor grace to the learned.
Sooner or later bad luck hits us all.

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