Ecclesiastes 9:11

NETBible

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.

NIV ©

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 favour to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.

NASB ©

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 men of ability; for time and chance overtake them all.

NLT ©

I have observed something else in this world of ours. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise are often poor, 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 at the right place at the right time.

MSG ©

I took another walk around the neighborhood and realized that on this earth as it is--The race is not always to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor satisfaction to the wise, Nor riches to the smart, Nor grace to the learned. Sooner or later bad luck hits us all.

BBE ©

And again I saw under the sun that the reward goes not to him who is quick, or the fruits of war to the strong; and there is no bread for the wise, or wealth for men of learning, or respect for those who have knowledge; but time and chance come to all.

NRSV ©

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 the skillful; but time and chance happen to them all.

NKJV ©

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.

KJV
I returned
<07725> (8804)_,
and saw
<07200> (8800)
under the sun
<08121>_,
that the race
<04793>
[is] not to the swift
<07031>_,
nor the battle
<04421>
to the strong
<01368>_,
neither yet bread
<03899>
to the wise
<02450>_,
nor yet riches
<06239>
to men of understanding
<0995> (8737)_,
nor yet favour
<02580>
to men of skill
<03045> (8802)_;
but time
<06256>
and chance
<06294>
happeneth
<07136> (8799)
to them all.
NASB ©
I again
<7725>
saw
<7200>
under
<8478>
the sun
<8121>
that the race
<4793>
is not to the swift
<7031>
and the battle
<4421>
is not to the warriors
<1368>
, and neither
<1571>
<3808> is bread
<3899>
to the wise
<2450>
nor
<3808>
<1571> wealth
<6239>
to the discerning
<995>
nor
<3808>
<1571> favor
<2580>
to men of ability
<3045>
; for time
<6256>
and chance
<6294>
overtake
<7136>
them all
<3605>
.
LXXM
epestreqa
<1994> 
V-AAI-1S
kai
<2532> 
CONJ
eidon
<3708> 
V-AAI-1S
upo
<5259> 
PREP
ton
<3588> 
T-ASM
hlion
<2246> 
N-ASM
oti
<3754> 
CONJ
ou
<3364> 
ADV
toiv
<3588> 
T-DPM
koufoiv {A-DPM} o
<3588> 
T-NSM
dromov
<1408> 
N-NSM
kai
<2532> 
CONJ
ou
<3364> 
ADV
toiv
<3588> 
T-DPM
dunatoiv
<1415> 
A-DPM
o
<3588> 
T-NSM
polemov
<4171> 
N-NSM
kai
<2532> 
CONJ
ge
<1065> 
PRT
ou
<3364> 
ADV
toiv
<3588> 
T-DPM
sofoiv
<4680> 
A-DPM
artov
<740> 
N-NSM
kai
<2532> 
CONJ
ge
<1065> 
PRT
ou
<3364> 
ADV
toiv
<3588> 
T-DPM
sunetoiv
<4908> 
A-DPM
ploutov
<4149> 
N-NSM
kai
<2532> 
CONJ
ge
<1065> 
PRT
ou
<3364> 
ADV
toiv
<3588> 
T-DPM
ginwskousin
<1097> 
V-PAI-3P
cariv
<5485> 
N-NSF
oti
<3754> 
CONJ
kairov
<2540> 
N-NSM
kai
<2532> 
CONJ
apanthma {N-NSN} sunanthsetai
<4876> 
V-FMI-3S
toiv
<3588> 
T-DPM
pasin
<3956> 
A-DPM
autoiv
<846> 
D-DPM
NET [draft] ITL
Again
<07725>
, I observed
<07200>
this on
<08478>
the earth
<08121>
: the race
<04793>
is not
<03808>
always won by the swiftest
<07031>
, the battle
<04421>
is not
<03808>
always won by the strongest
<01368>
; prosperity
<03899>
does not
<03808>
always belong to those who are the wisest
<02450>
, wealth
<06239>
does not
<03808>
always belong to those who are the most discerning
<0995>
, nor
<03808>
does success
<02580>
always come to those with the most knowledge
<03045>
– for
<03588>
time
<06256>
and chance
<06294>
may overcome
<07136>
them all
<03605>
.
HEBREW
Mlk
<03605>
ta
<0853>
hrqy
<07136>
egpw
<06294>
te
<06256>
yk
<03588>
Nx
<02580>
Myedyl
<03045>
al
<03808>
Mgw
<01571>
rse
<06239>
Mynbnl
<0995>
al
<03808>
Mgw
<01571>
Mxl
<03899>
Mymkxl
<02450>
al
<03808>
Mgw
<01571>
hmxlmh
<04421>
Myrwbgl
<01368>
alw
<03808>
Uwrmh
<04793>
Mylql
<07031>
al
<03808>
yk
<03588>
smsh
<08121>
txt
<08478>
harw
<07200>
ytbs (9:11)
<07725>
NETBible

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.

NET Notes

1 tn Heb “I returned and.” In the Hebrew idiom, “to return and do” means “to do again.”

2 tn Heb “under the sun.”

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.

4 tn Heb “bread.”

5 tn Heb “favor.”

6 tn Heb “happen to.”