¹⁸ I said to myself concerning humans,^[a] “God sifts^[b] them in order to show^[c] them that they are like beasts.” ¹⁹ For the fate of humans^[d] and the fate of the beast is the same.^[e] The death of the one is like the death of the other, for both are mortal.^[f] Man has no advantage over the beast, for both are fleeting. ²⁰ Both go to one place—both came from dust and both return to dust. ²¹ For no one knows whether the spirit of a human ascends to heaven and whether the spirit of the beast descends to the ground!

²² So I concluded that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy the fruit of his labor, for this is his lot in life. For no one knows what will happen in the future.^[g]