Again I saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, or the battle to the strong, or bread to the wise, or riches to the discerning, or favor to the skillful; rather, time and chance happen to all of them.

我又转念：见日光之下，快跑的未必能赢；力战的未必得胜；智慧的未必得粮食；明哲的未必得资财；灵巧的未必得喜悦。所临到众人的是在乎当时的机会。

我转而回顾日光之下，快跑的未必能赢，强壮的未必战胜，智慧的未必得粮食，聪明的未必得财富，有学问的未必得人喜悦，全在乎各人遇上的时候和机会。

我转而回顾日光之下，快跑的未必能赢，强壮的未必战胜，智慧的未必得粮食，聪明的未必得财富，有学问的未必得人喜悦，全在乎各人遇上的时候和机会。

我又发现，日光之下，跑得快的未必能得奖，强大的未必能得胜，智者未必得温饱，聪明人未必有财富，博学者未必受爱戴，因为时机和境遇左右众人。

我又看见在日光之下，跑得快的未必得奖，勇士未必战胜，智慧的未必得粮食，精明的未必致富，博学的未必得人赏识，因为时机和际遇左右众人。

我转眼又看到日光之下：快跑的未必赛赢，勇士未必战胜，有智慧的未必得粮食，有悟性的未必得财富，明智者未必得恩惠；因为时机和机遇胜过一切。

我又轉念：見日光之下，快跑的未必能贏；力戰的未必得勝；智慧的未必得糧食；明哲的未必得資財；靈巧的未必得喜悅。所臨到眾人的是在乎當時的機會。

我轉而回顧日光之下，快跑的未必能贏，強壯的未必戰勝，智慧的未必得糧食，聰明的未必得財富，有學問的未必得人喜悅，全在乎各人遇上的時候和機會。

我轉而回顧日光之下，快跑的未必能贏，強壯的未必戰勝，智慧的未必得糧食，聰明的未必得財富，有學問的未必得人喜悅，全在乎各人遇上的時候和機會。

我又發現，日光之下，跑得快的未必能得獎，強大的未必能得勝，智者未必得溫飽，聰明人未必有財富，博學者未必受愛戴，因為時機和境遇左右眾人。

我又看見在日光之下，跑得快的未必得獎，勇士未必戰勝，智慧的未必得糧食，精明的未必致富，博學的未必得人賞識，因為時機和際遇左右眾人。

我又看：在日光之下、賽跑未必給輕快的先跑到，戰爭未必給勇士得勝利，糧食也未必給智慧人得着，財富未必給明達人賺得到，恩寵也未必給有知識的人博得着：他們所碰到的就只是定時與機會。

我轉眼又看到日光之下：快跑的未必賽贏，勇士未必戰勝，有智慧的未必得糧食，有悟性的未必得財富，明智者未必得恩惠；因為時機和機遇勝過一切。

我轉觀日下、疾趨者未必先至、力戰者未必獲勝、智者未必得食、達者未必得財、有技能者未必蒙恩寵、凡事皆由時勢而成、

我又遍覽天下事、疾趨未必先至、勁旅未必獲捷、有智未必得餱糧、聰明未必得貨財、機巧未必沐恩寵、凡百之事、悉由偶然而至。

我又觀日下之事、見疾趨者未必先至、有力者未必得勝、智者未必得食、哲者未必得財、有識者未必蒙恩、凡眾所遇、或隨時會、或屬偶然、

I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.

Here’s something else I’ve seen on this earth. Races aren’t always won by those who run fast. Battles aren’t always won by those who are strong. Wise people don’t always have plenty of food. Clever people aren’t always wealthy. Those who have learned a lot aren’t always successful. God controls the timing of every event. He also controls how things turn out.

Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all.

I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time.

I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor wealth to the discerning, nor favor to the skillful; for time and chance overtake them all.

I returned 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 chance happen to them all.

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 happeneth to them all.

Again I saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, or the battle to the strong, or bread to the wise, or riches to the discerning, or favor to the skillful; rather, time and chance happen to all of them.

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 favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

Again, I observed this on the earth: the race is not always won by the swiftest, the battle is not always won by the strongest; prosperity does not always belong to those who are the wisest, wealth does not always belong to those who are the most discerning, nor does success always come to those with the most knowledge– for time and chance may overcome them all.

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.

“‘ This is what the LORD says: The wise person should not boast in his wisdom; the strong should not boast in his strength; the wealthy should not boast in his wealth.

No wisdom, no understanding, and no counsel will prevail against the LORD.A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory comes from the LORD.

Who is there who speaks and it happens, unless the Lord has ordained it?Do not both adversity and good come from the mouth of the Most High?

He sets the lowly on high, and mourners are lifted to safety.He frustrates the schemes of the crafty so that they achieve no success.He traps the wise in their craftiness so that the plans of the deceptive are quickly brought to an end.They encounter darkness by day, and they grope at noon as if it were night.

Escape will fail the swift, the strong one will not maintain his strength, and the warrior will not save his life.The archer will not stand his ground, the one who is swift of foot will not save himself, and the one riding a horse will not save his life.Even the most courageous of the warriors will flee naked on that day— this is the LORD’s declaration.

I said to myself,“ God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every work.”

and he said,“ Listen carefully, all Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat. This is what the LORD says:‘ Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast number, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

I know that everything God does will last forever; there is no adding to it or taking from it. God works so that people will be in awe of him.

The swift cannot flee, and the warrior cannot escape! In the north by the bank of the Euphrates River, they stumble and fall.

A king is not saved by a large army; a warrior will not be rescued by great strength.The horse is a false hope for safety; it provides no escape by its great power.

He is not impressed by the strength of a horse; he does not value the power of a warrior.The LORD values those who fear him, those who put their hope in his faithful love.

The wise person has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also knew that one fate comes to them both.So I said to myself,“ What happens to the fool will also happen to me. Why then have I been overly wise?” And I said to myself that this is also futile.

I saw that all labor and all skillful work is due to one person’s jealousy of another. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

When Ahithophel realized that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He set his house in order and hanged himself. So he died and was buried in his father’s tomb.

Since the LORD had decreed that Ahithophel’s good advice be undermined in order to bring about Absalom’s ruin, Absalom and all the men of Israel said,“ The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than Ahithophel’s advice.”

Again, I observed all the acts of oppression being done under the sun. Look at the tears of those who are oppressed; they have no one to comfort them. Power is with those who oppress them; they have no one to comfort them.

Then I turned to consider wisdom, madness, and folly, for what will the king’s successor be like? He will do what has already been done.

Do not boast so proudly, or let arrogant words come out of your mouth, for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and actions are weighed by him.The bows of the warriors are broken, but the feeble are clothed with strength.Those who are full hire themselves out for food, but those who are starving hunger no more. The woman who is childless gives birth to seven, but the woman with many sons pines away.The LORD brings death and gives life; he sends some down to Sheol, and he raises others up.The LORD brings poverty and gives wealth; he humbles and he exalts.He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the trash heap. He seats them with noblemen and gives them a throne of honor. For the foundations of the earth are the LORD’s; he has set the world on them.He guards the steps of his faithful ones, but the wicked perish in darkness, for a person does not prevail by his own strength.Those who oppose the LORD will be shattered; he will thunder in the heavens against them. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth. He will give power to his king; he will lift up the horn of his anointed.

In him we have also received an inheritance, because we were predestined according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with the purpose of his will,

Therefore, pride is their necklace, and violence covers them like a garment.Their eyes bulge out from fatness; the imaginations of their hearts run wild.

but remember that the LORD your God gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm his covenant he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.

Consider the work of God, for who can straighten out what he has made crooked?

So you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

But when God is silent, who can declare him guilty? When he hides his face, who can see him? Yet he watches over both individuals and nations,

All the inhabitants of the earth are counted as nothing, and he does what he wants with the army of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth. There is no one who can block his hand or say to him,“ What have you done?”

The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was a fast runner, like one of the wild gazelles.He chased Abner and did not turn to the right or the left in his pursuit of him.Abner glanced back and said,“ Is that you, Asahel?”“ Yes it is,” Asahel replied.Abner said to him,“ Turn to your right or left, seize one of the young soldiers, and take whatever you can get from him.” But Asahel would not stop chasing him.Once again, Abner warned Asahel,“ Stop chasing me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How could I ever look your brother Joab in the face?”But Asahel refused to turn away, so Abner hit him in the stomach with the butt of his spear. The spear went through his body, and he fell and died right there. As they all came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, they stopped,

David defeated the Philistine with a sling and a stone. David overpowered the Philistine and killed him without having a sword.