Ecclesiastes 3

1 For everything there is a fixed time, and a time for every business under the sun.

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heavens:

2 A time for birth and a time for death; a time for planting and a time for uprooting;

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

3 A time to put to death and a time to make well; a time for pulling down and a time for building up;

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

4 A time for weeping and a time for laughing; a time for sorrow and a time for dancing;

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

5 A time to take stones away and a time to get stones together; a time for kissing and a time to keep from kissing;

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 for search and a time for loss; a time to keep and a time to give away;

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

7 A time for undoing and a time for stitching; a time for keeping quiet and a time for talk;

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

8 A time for love and a time for hate; a time for war and a time for peace.

A time to love, and a time to hate; A time of war, and a time of peace.

9 What profit has the worker in the work which he does?

What profit hath he that worketh from that wherein he laboureth?

10 I saw the work which God has put on the sons of man.

I have seen the travail that God hath given to the sons of men to toil in.

11 He has made everything right in its time; but he has made their hearts without knowledge, so that man is unable to see the works of God, from the first to the last.

He hath made everything beautiful in its time; also he hath set the world in their heart, so that man findeth not out from the beginning to the end the work that God doeth.

12 I am certain that there is nothing better for a man than to be glad, and to do good while life is in him.

I know that there is nothing good for them but to rejoice and to do well in their life;

13 And for every man to take food and drink, and have joy in all his work, is a reward from God.

yea also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labour, it is the gift of God.

14 I am certain that whatever God does will be for ever. No addition may be made to it, nothing may be taken from it; and God has done it so that man may be in fear before him.

I know that whatever God doeth, it shall be for ever; there is nothing to be added to it, nor anything to be taken from it; and God doeth [it], that [men] should fear before him.

15 Whatever is has been before, and what is to be is now; because God makes search for the things which are past.

That which is was long ago, and that which is to be hath already been; and God bringeth back again that which is past.

16 And again, I saw under the sun, in the place of the judges, that evil was there; and in the place of righteousness, that evil was there.

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

17 I said in my heart, God will be judge of the good and of the bad; because a time for every purpose and for every work has been fixed by him.

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.

18 I said in my heart, It is because of the sons of men, so that God may put them to the test and that they may see themselves as beasts.

I said in my heart, It is thus with the children of men, that God may prove them, and that they should see that they themselves are but beasts.

19 Because the fate of the sons of men and the fate of the beasts is the same. As is the death of one so is the death of the other, and all have one spirit. Man is not higher than the beasts; because all is to no purpose.

For what befalleth the children of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other, and they have all one breath; and man hath no pre-eminence above the beast: for all is vanity.

20 All go to one place, all are of the dust, and all will be turned to dust again.

All go unto one place: all are of the dust, and all return to dust.

21 Who is certain that the spirit of the sons of men goes up to heaven, or that the spirit of the beasts goes down to the earth?

Who knoweth the spirit of the children of men? Doth it go upwards? and the spirit of the beasts, doth it go downwards to the earth?

22 So I saw that there is nothing better than for a man to have joy in his work — because that is his reward. Who will make him see what will come after him?

And I have seen that there is nothing better than that man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion; for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?