Ecclesiastes 3:16-22

Christian Standard Bible

The Mystery of Injustice and Death

¹⁶ I also observed under the sun: there is wickedness at the place of judgment and there is wickedness at the place of righteousness.^{(A) 17} I said to myself, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked,^(B) since there is a time for every activity and every work.”^{(C) 18} I said to myself, “This happens so that God may test the children of Adam and they may see for themselves that they are like animals.”^{(D) 19} For the fate of the children of Adam and the fate of animals is the same.^(E) As one dies, so dies the other; they all have the same breath. People have no advantage over animals since everything is futile. ²⁰ All are going to the same place; all come from dust, and all return to dust.^{(F) 21} Who knows if the spirits of the children of Adam go upward and the spirits of animals go downward to the earth? ²² I have seen that there is nothing better than for a person to enjoy his activities^(G) because that is his reward. For who can enable him to see what will happen after he dies?^[a](H)