Bible in Basic English
I said in my heart, It is because of the sons of men, so that God may put them to the test and that they may see themselves as beasts.
Because the fate of the sons of men and the fate of the beasts is the same. As is the death of one so is the death of the other, and all have one spirit. Man is not higher than the beasts; because all is to no purpose.
All go to one place, all are of the dust, and all will be turned to dust again.
Who is certain that the spirit of the sons of men goes up to heaven, or that the spirit of the beasts goes down to the earth?
So I saw that there is nothing better than for a man to have joy in his work--because that is his reward. Who will make him see what will come after him?
— Ecclesiastes 3:18-1964, Bible in Basic English
“I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts. For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him? ”
Whatever is has been before, and what is to be is now; because God makes search for the things which are past.
And again, I saw under the sun, in the place of the judges, that evil was there; and in the place of righteousness, that evil was there.
I said in my heart, God will be judge of the good and of the bad; because a time for every purpose and for every work has been fixed by him.
I said in my heart, It is because of the sons of men, so that God may put them to the test and that they may see themselves as beasts.
Because the fate of the sons of men and the fate of the beasts is the same. As is the death of one so is the death of the other, and all have one spirit. Man is not higher than the beasts; because all is to no purpose.
All go to one place, all are of the dust, and all will be turned to dust again.
Who is certain that the spirit of the sons of men goes up to heaven, or that the spirit of the beasts goes down to the earth?
So I saw that there is nothing better than for a man to have joy in his work--because that is his reward. Who will make him see what will come after him?