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Ecclesiastes 9:11

Discouragement and depressionGod's will and callingWisdom

9 Enjoy life with your beloved wife all the days of the fleeting life that God has given you under the sun—all your fleeting days. For this is your portion in life and in your labor under the sun.

10 Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.

I saw something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; neither is the bread to the wise, nor the wealth to the intelligent, nor the favor to the skillful. For time and chance happen to all.

12 For surely no man knows his time: Like fish caught in a cruel net or birds trapped in a snare, so men are ensnared in an evil time that suddenly falls upon them.

13 I have also seen this wisdom under the sun, and it was great to me:

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BSB
I saw something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; neither is the bread to the wise, nor the wealth to the intelligent, nor the favor to the skillful. For time and chance happen to all.
KJV
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.
WEB
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.
ASV
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.
DARBY
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 the intelligent, nor yet favour to men of knowledge; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
BLB
I returned and saw under the sun how the race [is] not to the swift, and the battle not to the strong, and bread not to the wise, and wealth not to the discerning, and favor not to the skillful. For time and chance will happen to them all.
ÅB
Fremdeles så jeg under solen at det ikke er visst at de som er lette på foten, vinner i løpet, eller at heltene seirer i krigen, eller at de vise kan få seg brød, eller at de forstandige kan vinne rikdom eller de kloke finne yndest; for tid og hendelse møter dem alle.
OTB
Jeg observerte igjen under solen at løpet ikke er til de raske, heller ikke kampen til de sterke, heller ikke kommer brød til de vise, eller rikdom til de kloke, eller gunst til de dyktige; men tid og tilfeldighet overgår dem alle.
B1930
Fremdeles så jeg under solen at det ikke er visst at de som er lette på foten, vinner i løpet, eller at heltene seirer i krigen, eller at de vise kan få sig brød, eller at de forstandige kan vinne rikdom eller de kloke finne yndest; for tid og hendelse møter dem alle.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

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