Ecclesiastes 9:11-12
New American Standard Bible
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.
Read full chapter
Ecclesiastes 9:11-12
International Standard Version
11 I considered and observed on earth the following:
The race doesn’t go to the swift,
nor the battle to the strong,
nor food to the wise,
nor wealth to the smart,
nor recognition to the skilled.
Instead, timing and circumstances meet them all.
12 In addition, no human being knows his time:
Like fish captured in a cruel net,
or as birds caught in a snare,
so also are human beings caught by bad timing
that surprises them.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
