Ecclesiastes 3:11-21

English Standard Version

¹¹ He has ^(A)made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot ^(B)find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. ¹² I perceived that there is ^(C)nothing better for them than to be joyful and to ^(D)do good as long as they live; ¹³ also ^(E)that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is ^(F)God's gift to man.

¹⁴ I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; ^(G)nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. ¹⁵ That which is, ^(H)already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God ^(I)seeks what has been driven away.^[a]

From Dust to Dust

¹⁶ Moreover, ^(J)I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even ^(K)there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. ¹⁷ I said in my heart, ^(L)God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is ^(M)a time for every matter and for every work. ¹⁸ I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but ^(N)beasts. ^19 (O)For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity.^{[b] 20} All go to one place. All are from ^(P)the dust, and to dust all return. ²¹ Who knows whether ^(Q)the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth?