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18 I said to myself with regard to humans that God is testing[a] them to show that they are but animals.(A) 19 For the fate of humans and the fate of animals is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and humans have no advantage over the animals, for all is vanity.(B) 20 All go to one place, all are from the dust, and all turn to dust again.(C) 21 Who knows whether the human spirit goes upward and the spirit of animals goes downward to the earth?(D) 22 So I saw that there is nothing better than that all should enjoy their work, for that is their lot; who can bring them to see what will be after them?(E)

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Footnotes

  1. 3.18 Meaning of Heb uncertain

18 I also thought, Where human beings are concerned, God tests them to show them that they are but animals 19 because human beings and animals share the same fate. One dies just like the other—both have the same life-breath. Humans are no better off than animals because everything is pointless.

20 All go to the same place:
    all are from the dust;
    all return to the dust.

21 Who knows if a human being’s life-breath rises upward while an animal’s life-breath descends into the earth? 22 So I perceived that there was nothing better for human beings but to enjoy what they do because that’s what they’re allotted in life. Who, really, is able to see what will happen in the future?

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