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11 I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all. 12 For man also doesn’t know his time. As the fish that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly on them.

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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.

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