Ecclesiastes 9:11

Wisdom Cannot Protect against Seemingly Chance Events

9:11 Again, ¹  I observed this on the earth: ² 

the race is not always ³  won by the swiftest,

the battle is not always won by the strongest;

prosperity ⁴  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 ⁵  always come to those with the most knowledge –

for time and chance may overcome ⁶  them all.

[9:11]  ¹ tn Heb “I returned and.” In the Hebrew idiom, “to return and do” means “to do again.”

[9:11]  ² tn Heb “under the sun.”

[9:11]  ³ tn The term “always” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation (five times in this verse) for clarity.

[9:11]  ⁴ tn Heb “bread.”

[9:11]  ⁵ tn Heb “favor.”

[9:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “happen to.”