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18 I said in my heart concerning the sons of men, “God is testing them in order for them to see that they are but (A)beasts.” 19 (B)For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same fate for each of them. As one dies so dies the other, and they all have the same breath. So there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is [a]vanity. 20 All go to the same place. All came from the (C)dust, and all return to the dust. 21 Who knows that the (D)breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth? 22 I have seen that (E)nothing is better than that man should be glad in his works, for that is his portion. For who will bring him to see (F)what will occur after him?

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Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 3:19 Or futility

18 I said [a]to myself regarding the sons of mankind, “God is testing them in order for them to see that they are as (A)animals, they to themselves.” 19 (B)For the fate of the sons of mankind and the fate of animals [b]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 (C)dust and all return to the dust. 21 Who knows that the (D)spirit of the sons of mankind ascends upward and the spirit of the animal descends downward to the earth? 22 I have seen that (E)nothing is better than when a person is happy in his activities, for that is his [c]lot. For who will bring him to see (F)what will occur after him?

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Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 3:18 Lit in my heart
  2. Ecclesiastes 3:19 Lit and they have one fate
  3. Ecclesiastes 3:22 Or reward