11 I 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. 12 For indeed, a person does not (E)know his time: like fish that are caught in a treacherous net and (F)birds caught in a snare, so the sons of mankind are (G)ensnared at an evil time when it (H)suddenly falls on them.

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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.

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