Ecclesiastes 3

1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:

To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:

2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

a time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

a time to search and a time to count as lost, a time to keep and a time to discard,

7 a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboreth?

What does the worker gain from his toil?

10 I have seen the travail which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.

I have seen the burden that God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them.

11 He hath made everything beautiful in its time: also he hath set eternity in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom the work that God has done from beginning to end.

12 I know that there is nothing better for them, than to rejoice, and to do good so long as they live.

I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and do good while they live,

13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor, is the gift of God.

and also that every man should eat and drink and find satisfaction in all his labor—this is the gift of God.

14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it; and God hath done it, that men should fear before him.

I know that everything God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God does it so that they should fear Him.

15 That which is hath been long ago; and that which is to be hath long ago been: and God seeketh again that which is passed away.

What exists has already been, and what will be has already been, for God will call to account what has passed.

16 And moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.

Furthermore, I saw under the sun that in the place of judgment there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.

17 I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every deed.”

18 I said in my heart, [It is] because of the sons of men, that God may prove them, and that they may see that they themselves are [but as] beasts.

I said to myself, “As for the sons of men, God tests them so that they may see for themselves that they are but beasts.”

19 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; and man hath no preeminence above the beasts: for all is vanity.

For the fates of both men and beasts are the same: As one dies, so dies the other—they all have the same breath. Man has no advantage over the animals, since everything is futile.

20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

All go to one place; all come from dust, and all return to dust.

21 Who knoweth the spirit of man, whether it goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast, whether it goeth downward to the earth?

Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and the spirit of the animal descends into the earth?

22 Wherefore I saw that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him [back] to see what shall be after him?

I have seen that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will come after him?