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But no one knows what will be. Indeed, who can tell him what will be?[a] As no one has power to restrain the wind, there is no power over the day of death. No discharge is granted during war, and wickedness will not deliver those who practice it.

Life Is Not Fair

All this I saw while I was applying my heart to every work done under the sun, during this time when one man has power over another to harm him.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 8:7 Or who can tell him when it will happen
  2. Ecclesiastes 8:9 Or one man has power over another to his own detriment

Since no one knows the future,
    who can tell someone else what is to come?
As no one has power over the wind to contain it,
    so[a] no one has power over the time of their death.
As no one is discharged in time of war,
    so wickedness will not release those who practice it.

All this I saw, as I applied my mind to everything done under the sun. There is a time when a man lords it over others to his own[b] hurt.

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Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 8:8 Or over the human spirit to retain it, / and so
  2. Ecclesiastes 8:9 Or to their