Ecclesiastes 3:18-22
New Living Translation
18 I also thought about the human condition—how God proves to people that they are like animals. 19 For people and animals share the same fate—both breathe[a] and both must die. So people have no real advantage over the animals. How meaningless! 20 Both go to the same place—they came from dust and they return to dust. 21 For who can prove that the human spirit goes up and the spirit of animals goes down into the earth? 22 So I saw that there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is our lot in life. And no one can bring us back to see what happens after we die.
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- 3:19 Or both have the same spirit.
Ecclesiastes 3:18-22
Christian Standard Bible
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.”(A) 19 For the fate of the children of Adam and the fate of animals is the same.(B) 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.(C) 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(D) because that is his reward. For who can enable him to see what will happen after he dies?[a](E)
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- 3:22 Lit after him
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