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.

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.

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, 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:“ Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches.

No human wisdom or understanding or plan can stand against the Lord.The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.

Who can command things to happen without the Lord’s permission?Does not the Most High send both calamity and good?

He gives prosperity to the poor and protects those who suffer.He frustrates the plans of schemers so the work of their hands will not succeed.He traps the wise in their own cleverness so their cunning schemes are thwarted.They find it is dark in the daytime, and they grope at noon as if it were night.

Your fastest runners will not get away. The strongest among you will become weak. Even mighty warriors will be unable to save themselves.The archers will not stand their ground. The swiftest runners won’t be fast enough to escape. Even those riding horses won’t be able to save themselves.On that day the most courageous of your fighting men will drop their weapons and run for their lives,” says the Lord.

I said to myself,“ In due season God will judge everyone, both good and bad, for all their deeds.”

He said,“ Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God’s purpose is that people should fear him.

“ The swiftest runners cannot flee; the mightiest warriors cannot escape. By the Euphrates River to the north, they stumble and fall.

The best equipped army cannot save a king, nor is great strength enough to save a warrior.Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory— for all its strength, it cannot save you.

He takes no pleasure in the strength of a horse or in human might.No, the Lord’s delight is in those who fear him, those who put their hope in his unfailing love.

For the wise can see where they are going, but fools walk in the dark.” Yet I saw that the wise and the foolish share the same fate.Both will die. So I said to myself,“ Since I will end up the same as the fool, what’s the value of all my wisdom? This is all so meaningless!”

Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless— like chasing the wind.

When Ahithophel realized that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey, went to his hometown, set his affairs in order, and hanged himself. He died there and was buried in the family tomb.

Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said,“ Hushai’s advice is better than Ahithophel’s.” For the Lord had determined to defeat the counsel of Ahithophel, which really was the better plan, so that he could bring disaster on Absalom!

Again, I observed all the oppression that takes place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, with no one to comfort them. The oppressors have great power, and their victims are helpless.

So I decided to compare wisdom with foolishness and madness( for who can do this better than I, the king?).

“ Stop acting so proud and haughty! Don’t speak with such arrogance! For the Lord is a God who knows what you have done; he will judge your actions.The bow of the mighty is now broken, and those who stumbled are now strong.Those who were well fed are now starving, and those who were starving are now full. The childless woman now has seven children, and the woman with many children wastes away.The Lord gives both death and life; he brings some down to the grave but raises others up.The Lord makes some poor and others rich; he brings some down and lifts others up.He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, placing them in seats of honor. For all the earth is the Lord’s, and he has set the world in order.“ He will protect his faithful ones, but the wicked will disappear in darkness. No one will succeed by strength alone.Those who fight against the Lord will be shattered. He thunders against them from heaven; the Lord judges throughout the earth. He gives power to his king; he increases the strength of his anointed one.”

Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.

They wear pride like a jeweled necklace and clothe themselves with cruelty.These fat cats have everything their hearts could ever wish for!

Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.

Accept the way God does things, for who can straighten what he has made crooked?

Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”

But if he chooses to remain quiet, who can criticize him? When he hides his face, no one can find him, whether an individual or a nation.

All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. He does as he pleases among the angels of heaven and among the people of the earth. No one can stop him or say to him,‘ What do you mean by doing these things?’

Joab, Abishai, and Asahel— the three sons of Zeruiah— were among David’s forces that day. Asahel could run like a gazelle,and he began chasing Abner. He pursued him relentlessly, not stopping for anything.When Abner looked back and saw him coming, he called out,“ Is that you, Asahel?”“ Yes, it is,” he replied.“ Go fight someone else!” Abner warned.“ Take on one of the younger men, and strip him of his weapons.” But Asahel kept right on chasing Abner.Again Abner shouted to him,“ Get away from here! I don’t want to kill you. How could I ever face your brother Joab again?”But Asahel refused to turn back, so Abner thrust the butt end of his spear through Asahel’s stomach, and the spear came out through his back. He stumbled to the ground and died there. And everyone who came by that spot stopped and stood still when they saw Asahel lying there.

So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword.