Ecclesiastes 9:11-13

Common English Bible

Listen to common wisdom, not fools

¹¹ I also observed under the sun that the race doesn’t always go to the swift, nor the battle to the mighty, nor food to the wise, nor wealth to the intelligent, nor favor to the knowledgeable, because accidents can happen to anyone. ¹² People most definitely don’t know when their time will come. Like fish tragically caught in a net or like birds trapped in a snare, so are human beings caught in a time of tragedy that suddenly falls to them.

¹³ I also observed the following example of wisdom under the sun—it impressed me greatly: