Ecclesiastes 9:2
All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.
Cross-references
Ecclesiastes 2:14-16 states that both wise and foolish share the same fate of death, reinforcing the common destiny theme here.
Ecclesiastes 8:12-14 expands on this injustice: righteous suffer like the wicked, yet ultimate judgment awaits.
In Ecclesiastes 7:15, the righteous perish and the wicked live long—direct parallel on the same theme.
Malachi 3:18 promises a future distinction between righteous and wicked—directly opposing the claim here that all share the same fate in death.
In Job 4:7, Eliphaz claims the innocent never perish—directly contradicting the idea that all die alike.
In Job 21:26, both the wicked and righteous lie in dust covered by worms—identical fate.
In Psalm 49:10, the wise and foolish both die and leave wealth—same point about universal death.
John 9:3 clarifies that suffering is not always punishment for sin — aligning with Ecclesiastes' observation that good and bad face the same events.
1 Samuel 31:6 reports the death of Saul and his men together—illustrating the universal fate of death that comes to all regardless of status.
2 Kings 23:29 records the death of righteous King Josiah in battle—exemplifying that even the good share the common destiny of death.
1 Chronicles 10:6 says Saul and all his house died together—another example of the universal death that comes to both kings and commoners.
In 2 Chronicles 35:24, righteous King Josiah dies in battle—a specific example of the righteous perishing like the wicked.
Job 21:7-34 argues that the wicked often prosper and die peacefully, paralleling the observation here that all share the same destiny.
In Job 36:11, obedience brings prosperity—contrasting with the leveling effect of death on all.
Psalm 73:3 expresses envy of the arrogant's prosperity, mirroring the frustration over the common fate of righteous and wicked in this verse.
Malachi 3:15 complains that evildoers prosper and get away with it, aligning with the theme of apparent injustice in the shared destiny here.