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.

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, 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.

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.

The LORD says,“ Wise people should not boast that they are wise. Powerful people should not boast that they are powerful. Rich people should not boast that they are rich.

There is no wisdom and there is no understanding, and there is no counsel against the LORD.A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory is from the LORD.

Whose command was ever fulfilled unless the Lord decreed it?Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that everything comes– both calamity and blessing?

he sets the lowly on high, that those who mourn are raised to safety.He frustrates the plans of the crafty so that their hands cannot accomplish what they had planned!He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the counsel of the cunning is brought to a quick end.They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope about in the noontime as if it were night.

Fast runners will find no place to hide; strong men will have no strength left; warriors will not be able to save their lives.Archers will not hold their ground; fast runners will not save their lives, nor will those who ride horses.Bravehearted warriors will run away naked in that day.” The LORD is speaking!

I thought to myself,“ God will judge both the righteous and the wicked; for there is an appropriate time for every activity, and there is a time of judgment for every deed.

He said:“ Pay attention, all you people of Judah, residents of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says to you:‘ Don’t be afraid and don’t panic because of this huge army! For the battle is not yours, but God’s.

I also know that whatever God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken away from it. God has made it this way, so that men will fear him.

But even the swiftest cannot get away. Even the strongest cannot escape. There in the north by the Euphrates River they stumble and fall in defeat.

No king is delivered by his vast army; a warrior is not saved by his great might.A horse disappoints those who trust in it for victory; despite its great strength, it cannot deliver.

He is not enamored with the strength of a horse, nor is he impressed by the warrior’s strong legs.The LORD takes delight in his faithful followers, and in those who wait for his loyal love.

The wise man can see where he is going, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also realized that the same fate happens to them both.So I thought to myself,“ The fate of the fool will happen even to me! Then what did I gain by becoming so excessively wise?” So I lamented to myself,“ The benefits of wisdom are ultimately meaningless!”

Then I considered all the skillful work that is done: Surely it is nothing more than competition between one person and another. This also is profitless– like chasing the wind.

When Ahithophel realized that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and returned to his house in his hometown. After setting his household in order, he hanged himself. So he died and was buried in the grave of his father.

Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said,“ The advice of Hushai the Arkite sounds better than the advice of Ahithophel.” Now the LORD had decided to frustrate the sound advice of Ahithophel, so that the LORD could bring disaster on Absalom.

So I again considered all the oppression that continually occurs on earth. This is what I saw: The oppressed were in tears, but no one was comforting them; no one delivers them from the power of their oppressors.

Next, I decided to consider wisdom, as well as foolish behavior and ideas. For what more can the king’s successor do than what the king has already done?

Don’t keep speaking so arrogantly, letting proud talk come out of your mouth! For the LORD is a God who knows; he evaluates what people do.The bows of warriors are shattered, but those who stumble find their strength reinforced.Those who are well-fed hire themselves out to earn food, but the hungry no longer lack. Even the barren woman gives birth to seven, but the one with many children withers away.The LORD both kills and gives life; he brings down to the grave and raises up.The LORD impoverishes and makes wealthy; he humbles and he exalts.He lifts the weak from the dust; he raises the poor from the ash heap to seat them with princes and to bestow on them an honored position. The foundations of the earth belong to the LORD, and he has placed the world on them.He watches over his holy ones, but the wicked are made speechless in the darkness, for it is not by one’s own strength that one prevails.The LORD shatters his adversaries; he thunders against them from the heavens. The LORD executes judgment to the ends of the earth. He will strengthen his king and exalt the power of his anointed one.”

In Christ we too have been claimed as God’s own possession, since we were predestined according to the one purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will

Arrogance is their necklace, and violence their clothing.Their prosperity causes them to do wrong; their thoughts are sinful.

You must remember the LORD your God, for he is the one who gives ability to get wealth; if you do this he will confirm his covenant that he made by oath to your ancestors, even as he has to this day.

Consider the work of God: For who can make straight what he has bent?

Then once more you will see that I make a distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between the one who serves God and the one who does not.

But if God is quiet, who can condemn him? If he hides his face, then who can see him? Yet he is over the individual and the nation alike,

All the inhabitants of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he wishes with the army of heaven and with those who inhabit the earth. No one slaps his hand and says to him,‘ What have you done?’

The three sons of Zeruiah were there– Joab, Abishai, and Asahel.( Now Asahel was as quick on his feet as one of the gazelles in the field.)Asahel chased Abner, without turning to the right or to the left as he followed Abner.Then Abner turned and asked,“ Is that you, Asahel?” He replied,“ Yes it is!”Abner said to him,“ Turn aside to your right or to your left. Capture one of the soldiers and take his equipment for yourself!” But Asahel was not willing to turn aside from following him.So Abner spoke again to Asahel,“ Turn aside from following me! I do not want to strike you to the ground. How then could I show my face in the presence of Joab your brother?”But Asahel refused to turn aside. So Abner struck him in the abdomen with the back end of his spear. The spear came out his back; Asahel collapsed on the spot and died there right before Abner. Everyone who now comes to the place where Asahel fell dead pauses in respect.

David prevailed over the Philistine with just the sling and the stone. He struck down the Philistine and killed him. David did not even have a sword in his hand.