12 I realize that there’s nothing better for them to do than to be cheerful and enjoy what is good in their lives.
13 It is a gift from God to be able to eat and drink and experience the good that comes from every kind of hard work.
14 I realize that whatever God does will last forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing can be taken away from it. God does this so that people will fear him.
15 Whatever has happened ⌊in the past⌋ is present now. Whatever is going to happen ⌊in the future⌋ has already happened ⌊in the past⌋. God will call the past to account.
16 I saw something else under the sun:There is wickedness where justice should be found.There is wickedness where righteousness should be found.
17 I thought to myself, “God will judge righteous people as well as wicked people, because there is a specific time for every activity and every work that is done.”
18 I thought to myself, “God is going to test humans in order to show them that they are ⌊like⌋ animals.”