Ecclesiastes 9:12
10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
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 favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
13 This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:
14 There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:
Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- 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.
- KJV
- For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
- WEB
- 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.
- ASV
- For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes 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 falleth suddenly upon them.
- DARBY
- For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are taken with the snare, like them are the children of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
- BLB
- For even the man does not know his time; like the fish taken in a cruel net, and like the birds that are grabbed by the snare, so for them: The sons of men [are] snared in an evil time, when it falls upon them suddenly.
- ÅB
- For mennesket kjenner like så lite sin tid som fiskene som fanges i det onde garn, eller fuglene som blir fanget i snaren; slik som de fanges også menneskenes barn i en ond tid, når den med ett kommer over dem.
- OTB
- Ingen vet når deres tid vil komme: som fisk fanget i et farlig nett, eller fugler fanget i en snare, slik blir mennesker fanget i en ond tid når den plutselig faller over dem.
- B1930
- For mennesket kjenner like så lite sin tid som fiskene som fanges i det onde garn, eller fuglene som blir fanget i snaren; likesom de fanges også menneskenes barn i en ond tid, når den med ett kommer over dem.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
1 Thessalonians 5:3
For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
Read in contextLuke 21:34–36
And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
Read in contextProverbs 6:15
Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.
Read in contextLuke 12:20
But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
Read in contextProverbs 29:6
In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare: but the righteous doth sing and rejoice.
Read in contextPsalms 73:18–20
Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.
Read in contextEcclesiastes 8:5–7
Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man’s heart discerneth both time and judgment.
Read in contextJob 18:8–10
For he is cast into a net by his own feet, and he walketh upon a snare.
Read in context