Ecclesiastes 3:18-22 Reading
Both dies at the end of the day. All have the same breath, man has no advantage over the animal (vs 18-19).
Ecclesiastes 3:18-22
[18]I concluded that God is testing us, to show us that we are no better than animals.
[19]After all, the same fate awaits human beings and animals alike. One dies just like the other. They are both the same kind of creature. A human being is no better off than an animal, because life has no meaning for either.
[20]They are both going to the same place — the dust. They both came from it; they will both go back to it.
[21]How can anyone be sure that the human spirit goes upwards while an animal’s spirit goes down into the ground?
[22]So I realized then that the best thing we can do is to enjoy what we have worked for. There is nothing else we can do. There is no way for us to know what will happen after we die.
Ecclesiastes 4:1-12 Reading
Ecclesiastes 4:1-12
[1]Then I looked again at all the injustice that goes on in this world. The oppressed were weeping, and no one would help them. No one would help them, because their oppressors had power on their side.
[2]I envy those who are dead and gone; they are better off than those who are still alive.
[3]But better off than either are those who have never been born, who have never seen the injustice that goes on in this world.
[4]I have also learnt why people work so hard to succeed: it is because they envy their neighbours. But it is useless. It is like chasing the wind.
[5]They say that anyone would be a fool to fold his hands and let himself starve to death.
[6]Perhaps so, but it is better to have only a little, with peace of mind, than to be busy all the time with both hands, trying to catch the wind.
[7]I have noticed something else in life that is useless.
[8]Here is a man who lives alone. He has no son, no brother, yet he is always working, never satisfied with the wealth he has. For whom is he working so hard and denying himself any pleasure? This is useless, too — and a miserable way to live.
[9]Two are better off than one, because together they can work more effectively.
[10]If one of them falls down, the other can help him up. But if someone is alone and falls, it’s just too bad, because there is no one to help him.
[11]If it is cold, two can sleep together and stay warm, but how can you keep warm by yourself?
[12]Two people can resist an attack that would defeat one person alone. A rope made of three cords is hard to break.
Highlights: the oppressed; enjoy the fruits of your labour; two are better than one (vs 9-12).