8:8a As no man has power over the wind to contain it,

(Revised Standard Version🙂 No man has power to retain the spirit,

There is no one who can control the spirit’s departure.
-or-
There is no one with power to hold back ⌊his⌋ spirit from leaving ⌊his body⌋ .

8:8b so no one has authority over his day of death.

No one has control over the day of his own death. (God’s Word)
-or-
And no one has the power to decide when they will die. (New International Reader’s Version)

8:8c As no one can be discharged in wartime,

There is no escape from battle,
-or-
Just as no one can be released from fighting during a war,
-or-
No soldier is released in times of war, (New Century Version)

8:8d so wickedness will not release those who practice it.

and wickedness won’t save the person doing evil either.
-or-
so wickedness cannot save the one who does ⌊evil things⌋ .
-or-
also, if people do wicked things, that will not help them ⌊to avoid punishment⌋ .

8:8a-d (combined)

No one can control his own life-breath and no one can say when he will die. No one is dismissed when the battle’s raging and no evil person is saved by doing evil.
-or-
No one has the power to keep their spirit from leaving or to stop their death. During war, no soldier has the freedom to go wherever he wants. In the same way evil does not allow anyone who does wrong to go free. (English Easy-to-Read Version)

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