There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a ^atime for every matter under heaven—

9 ^aWhat benefit is there for the worker from that in which he labors? 10 I have seen the ^atask which God has given the sons of mankind with which to ¹occupy themselves.

11 He has ^amade everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, without the possibility that mankind ^bwill find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.

12 I know that there is ^anothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime; 13 moreover, that every person who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—this is the ^agift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it. And God has so worked, that people will ^1afear Him. 15 ^aThat which is, is what has already been, and that which will be has already been; and God ¹seeks what has passed by.

16 Furthermore, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is ^awickedness and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness. 17 I said ¹to myself, “^aGod will judge the righteous and the wicked,” for a ^btime for every matter and for every deed ²is there. 18 I said ¹to myself regarding the sons of mankind, “God is testing them in order for them to see that they are as ^aanimals, they to themselves.” 19 ^aFor the fate of the sons of mankind and the fate of animals ¹is 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 ^adust and all return to the dust. 21 Who knows that the ^aspirit of the sons of mankind ascends upward and the spirit of the animal descends downward to the earth? 22 I have seen that ^anothing is better than when a person is happy in his activities, for that is his ¹lot. For who will bring him to see ^bwhat will occur after him?