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But all things be kept uncertain into the time to coming; for all things befall evenly to a just man and to a wicked man, to a good man and to an evil man, to a clean man and to an unclean man, to a man offering offerings and sacrifices, and to a man despising sacrifices; as a good man, so and a sinner; as a forsworn man, so and he that greatly sweareth truth (as to a good man, and so to a sinner; as to a forsworn man, and so to him who greatly sweareth truth).

This thing is the worst among all things, that be done under the sun, that the same thing befall to all men; wherefore and the hearts of the sons of men be filled with malice and with despising in their life; and after these things, they shall be led down into hells. (This thing is the worst among all things, that be done under the sun, that the same thing befall to all people; yea, the hearts of the sons and daughters of men be filled with malice and despising during their lives; and then after these things, they go down to Sheol, or the land of the dead/they go down to hell.)

No man there is, that liveth ever, and that hath trust of this thing; better is a quick dog than a dead lion. (But for everyone who liveth, there is still hope; yea, a living dog is better than a dead lion.)

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All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad,[a] the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not.

As it is with the good,
    so with the sinful;
as it is with those who take oaths,
    so with those who are afraid to take them.(A)

This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all.(B) The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live,(C) and afterward they join the dead.(D) Anyone who is among the living has hope[b]—even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!

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Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 9:2 Septuagint (Aquila), Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew does not have and the bad.
  2. Ecclesiastes 9:4 Or What then is to be chosen? With all who live, there is hope