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.

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.

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 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, 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.

Thus says the Lord:“ Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;

There is no wisdom or understanding Or counsel against the Lord.The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But deliverance is of the Lord.

Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, When the Lord has not commanded it?Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That woe and well-being proceed?

He sets on high those who are lowly, And those who mourn are lifted to safety.He frustrates the devices of the crafty, So that their hands cannot carry out their plans.He catches the wise in their own craftiness, And the counsel of the cunning comes quickly upon them.They meet with darkness in the daytime, And grope at noontime as in the night.

Therefore flight shall perish from the swift, The strong shall not strengthen his power, Nor shall the mighty deliver himself;He shall not stand who handles the bow, The swift of foot shall not escape, Nor shall he who rides a horse deliver himself.The most courageous men of might Shall flee naked in that day,” Says the Lord.

I said in my heart,“ God shall judge the righteous and the wicked, For there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”

And he said,“ Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you:‘ Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

I know that whatever God does, It shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, And nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him.

“ Do not let the swift flee away, Nor the mighty man escape; They will stumble and fall Toward the north, by the River Euphrates.

No king is saved by the multitude of an army; A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.A horse is a vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.

He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man.The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy.

The wise man’s eyes are in his head, But the fool walks in darkness. Yet I myself perceived That the same event happens to them all.So I said in my heart,“ As it happens to the fool, It also happens to me, And why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart,“ This also is vanity.”

Again, I saw that for all toil and every skillful work a man is envied by his neighbor. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.

Now when Ahithophel saw that his advice was not followed, he saddled a donkey, and arose and went home to his house, to his city. Then he put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died; and he was buried in his father’s tomb.

So Absalom and all the men of Israel said,“ The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than the advice of Ahithophel.” For the Lord had purposed to defeat the good advice of Ahithophel, to the intent that the Lord might bring disaster on Absalom.

Then I returned and considered all the oppression that is done under the sun: And look! The tears of the oppressed, But they have no comforter— On the side of their oppressors there is power, But they have no comforter.

Then I turned myself to consider wisdom and madness and folly; For what can the man do who succeeds the king?— Only what he has already done.

“ Talk no more so very proudly; Let no arrogance come from your mouth, For the Lord is the God of knowledge; And by Him actions are weighed.“ The bows of the mighty men are broken, And those who stumbled are girded with strength.Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, And the hungry have ceased to hunger. Even the barren has borne seven, And she who has many children has become feeble.“ The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up.The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up.He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory.“ For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s, And He has set the world upon them.He will guard the feet of His saints, But the wicked shall be silent in darkness.“ For by strength no man shall prevail.The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces; From heaven He will thunder against them. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth.“ He will give strength to His king, And exalt the horn of His anointed.”

In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,

Therefore pride serves as their necklace; Violence covers them like a garment.Their eyes bulge with abundance; They have more than heart could wish.

“ And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

Consider the work of God; For who can make straight what He has made crooked?

Then you shall again discern Between the righteous and the wicked, Between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him.

When He gives quietness, who then can make trouble? And when He hides His face, who then can see Him, Whether it is against a nation or a man alone?—

All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him,“ What have You done?”

Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab and Abishai and Asahel. And Asahel was as fleet of foot as a wild gazelle.So Asahel pursued Abner, and in going he did not turn to the right hand or to the left from following Abner.Then Abner looked behind him and said,“ Are you Asahel?” He answered,“ I am.”And Abner said to him,“ Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and lay hold on one of the young men and take his armor for yourself.” But Asahel would not turn aside from following him.So Abner said again to Asahel,“ Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I face your brother Joab?”However, he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner struck him in the stomach with the blunt end of the spear, so that the spear came out of his back; and he fell down there and died on the spot. So it was that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died, stood still.

So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David.