Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible RHE
New International Version NIV
16 I saw under the sun in the place of judgment wickedness, and in the place of justice iniquity.
16
And I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgment—wickedness was there, in the place of justice—wickedness was there.
17 And I said in my heart: God shall judge both the just and the wicked, and then shall be the time of every thing.
17
I said to myself, “God will bring into judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time to judge every deed.”
18 I said in my heart concerning the sons of men, that God would prove them, and shew them to be like beasts.
18
I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals.
19 Therefore the death of man, and of beasts is one, and the condition of them both is equal: as man dieth, so they also die: all things breathe alike, and man hath nothing more than beast: all things are subject to vanity.
19
Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath ; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless.
20 And all things go to one place: of earth they were made, and into earth they return together.
20
All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.
21 Who knoweth if the spirit of the children of Adam ascend upward, and if the spirit of the beasts descend downward?
21
Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”
22 And I have found that nothing is better than for a man to rejoice in his work, and that this is his portion. For who shall bring him to know the things that shall be after him?
22
So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?
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