Ecclesiastes 9:11-12
New King James Version
11 I 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.
12 For (C)man also does not know his time:
Like fish taken in a cruel net,
Like birds caught in a snare,
So the sons of men are (D)snared in an evil time,
When it falls suddenly upon them.
Ecclesiastes 9:11-12
Lexham English Bible
The Injustice of Time and Chance
11 I looked again and saw under the sun that the race does not belong to the swift, the battle does not belong to the mighty, food does not belong to the wise, wealth does not belong to the intelligent, and success[a] does not belong to the skillful, for time and chance befalls all of them. 12 For man does not know his time. Just as fish are caught in a cruel net and like birds who are seized in a snare, so also humans[b] are ensnared at a cruel time when it falls suddenly upon them.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Ecclesiastes 9:11 Or “favor”
- Ecclesiastes 9:12 Literally “the sons of the man”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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