I againsawunderthe sunthat the raceis not to the swiftand the battleis not to the warriors,and neitheris breadto the wisenorwealthto the discerningnorfavorto men of ability;for timeand chanceovertakethem all.
Then Absalomand allthe menof Israelsaid,"The counselof Hushaithe Architeis betterthanthe counselof Ahithophel."For the LORDhad ordainedto thwartthe goodcounselof Ahithophel,sothat the LORDmight bringcalamityon Absalom.
Now whenAhithophelsawthat his counselwas not followed,he saddled[his] donkeyand aroseand wentto his home,to his city,and sethis housein order,and strangledhimself; thus he diedand was buriedin the graveof his father.
and he said,"Listen,allJudahand the inhabitantsof Jerusalemand KingJehoshaphat:thussaysthe LORDto you, 'Do not fearor be dismayedbecauseof thisgreatmultitude,for the battleis not yours but God's.
When He keepsquiet,whothen can condemn?And when He hidesHis face,whothen can beholdHim, That is, in regardto bothnationand man?--
The stoutheartedwere plundered,They sankinto sleep;And noneof the warriorscould usehis hands.
A wisemanwill hearand increasein learning,And a man of understandingwill acquirewisecounsel,
So I turnedto considerwisdom,madnessand folly;for what[will] the man[do] whowill comeafterthe king[except] whathas alreadybeen done?
I knowthat everythingGoddoeswill remainforever;thereis nothingto addto it and thereis nothingto takefrom it, for Godhas [so] workedthat men should fearHim.
I saidto myself,"Godwill judgeboth the righteousmanand the wickedman,"for a timefor everymatterand for everydeedis there.
Then I lookedagainat allthe actsof oppressionwhichwere being doneunderthe sun.And behold[I saw] the tearsof the oppressedand [that] they hadnooneto comfort[them]; and on the sideof their oppressorswas power,but they hadnooneto comfort[them].
I have seenthat everylaborand everyskillwhich is doneis [the result of] rivalrybetween a manand his neighbor.Thistoois vanityand strivingafter wind.
Considerthe workof God,For whois ableto straightenwhatHe has bent?
It is the samefor all.There is onefatefor the righteousand for the wicked;for the good,for the cleanand for the unclean;for the man who offersa sacrificeand for the one whodoes not sacrifice.As the goodmanis, so is the sinner;as the sweareris, so is the one who is afraidto swear.
Thisis an evilin allthat is doneunderthe sun,that there is onefatefor allmen.Furthermore,the heartsof the sonsof menare fullof eviland insanityis in their heartsthroughout their lives.Afterwardsthey [go] to the dead.
Let not the swiftmanflee,Northe mightymanescape;In the northbesidethe riverEuphratesThey have stumbledand fallen.
"Howcan you say,We are mightywarriors,And menvaliantfor battle'?
Thussaysthe LORD,"Let not a wisemanboastof his wisdom,and let not the mightymanboastof his might,let not a richmanboastof his riches;
"Allthe inhabitantsof the earthare accountedas nothing,But He doesaccordingto His willin the hostof heavenAnd [among] the inhabitantsof earth;And noone can wardoffHis handOr sayto Him, 'Whathave You done?'
Then he saidto me, "Thisis the wordof the LORDto Zerubbabelsaying,Not by mightnorby power,but by My Spirit,'saysthe LORDof hosts.
So you will againdistinguishbetweenthe righteousand the wicked,betweenone who servesGodand one whodoes not serveHim.
alsowe have obtained an inheritance,having been predestinedaccordingto His purposewho worksall thingsafterthe counselof His will,
"Otherwise, you may sayin your heart,'My powerand the strengthof my handmademe thiswealth.'
"But you shall rememberthe LORDyour God,for it is He who is givingyou powerto makewealth,that He may confirmHis covenantwhichHe sworeto your fathers,as [it is] thisday.
Thus Davidprevailedoverthe Philistinewith a slingand a stone,and he struckthe Philistineand killedhim; but therewas noswordin David'shand.
"Watch,ifit goesup by the wayof its own territoryto Beth-shemesh,then He has doneus thisgreatevil.But ifnot, then we will knowthat it was not His handthat struckus; it happenedto us by chance."
