God Set Eternity in the Heart of Mankind

¹¹ He has ^(A)made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, without the possibility that mankind ^(B)will find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.

¹² I know that there is ^(C)nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime; ¹³ moreover, that every person who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—this is the ^(D)gift of God. ¹⁴ I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it. And God has so worked, that people will ^[a](E)fear Him. ^15 (F)That which is, is what has already been, and that which will be has already been; and God ^[b]seeks what has passed by.

¹⁶ Furthermore, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is ^(G)wickedness and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness. ¹⁷ I said ^[c]to myself, “^(H)God will judge the righteous and the wicked,” for a ^(I)time for every matter and for every deed ^[d]is there. ¹⁸ I said ^[e]to myself regarding the sons of mankind, “God is testing them in order for them to see that they are as ^(J)animals, they to themselves.” ^19 (K)For the fate of the sons of mankind and the fate of animals ^[f]is the same. As one dies, so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath, and there is no advantage for mankind over animals, for all is futility. ²⁰ All go to the same place. All came from the ^(L)dust and all return to the dust. ²¹ Who knows that the ^(M)spirit of the sons of mankind ascends upward and the spirit of the animal descends downward to the earth? ²² I have seen that ^(N)nothing is better than when a person is happy in his activities, for that is his ^[g]lot. For who will bring him to see ^(O)what will occur after him?