Ecclesiastes 9:9-11

Contemporary English Version

⁹Life is short, and you love your wife, so enjoy being with her. This is what you are supposed to do as you struggle through life on this earth. ¹⁰Work hard at whatever you do. You will soon go to the world of the dead, where no one works or thinks or reasons or even knows anything.

¹¹Here is something else I have learned:

The fastest runners
    and the greatest heroes
don't always win races
    and battles.
Wisdom, intelligence, and skill
don't always make you healthy,
    rich, or popular.
We each have our own share
    of misfortune.

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Ecclesiastes 9:9-11

New International Version

⁹Enjoy life with your wife,^(A) whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot^(B) in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. ¹⁰Whatever^(C) your hand finds to do, do it with all your might,^(D) for in the realm of the dead,^(E) where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.^(F)

¹¹I have seen something else under the sun:

The race is not to the swift
    or the battle to the strong,^(G)
nor does food come to the wise^(H)
    or wealth to the brilliant
    or favor to the learned;
but time and chance^(I) happen to them all.^(J)

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Ecclesiastes 9:9-11

King James Version

⁹Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.

¹⁰Whatsoever 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.

¹¹I 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.

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