Ecclesiastes 9:1-6

Living Bible

9 This, too, I carefully explored—that godly and wise men are in God’s will; no one knows whether he will favor them or not. All is chance! ^2-3 The same providence confronts everyone, whether good or bad, religious or irreligious, profane or godly. It seems so unfair that one fate comes to all. That is why men are not more careful to be good but instead choose their own mad course, for they have no hope—there is nothing but death ahead anyway.

⁴ There is hope only for the living. “It is better to be a live dog than a dead lion!” ⁵ For the living at least know that they will die! But the dead know nothing ; they don’t even have their memories.^{[a] 6} Whatever they did in their lifetimes—loving, hating, envying—is long gone, and they have no part in anything here on earth anymore.