Ecclesiastes 3
1 To all things there is a time, and a season for every matter under heaven.
Alle thingis han tyme, and alle thingis vndur sunne passen bi her spaces.
2 A time of birth, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what has been planted;
Tyme of birthe, and time of diyng; tyme to plaunte, and tyme to drawe vp that that is plauntid.
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to pull down, and a time to build up;
Tyme to sle, and tyme to make hool; tyme to distrie, and tyme to bilde.
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to lament, and a time to dance;
Tyme to wepe, and tyme to leiye; tyme to biweile, and tyme to daunse.
5 a time to throw stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to abstain from embracing;
Tyme to scatere stoonys, and tyme to gadere togidere; tyme to colle, and tyme to be fer fro collyngis.
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
Tyme to wynne, and tyme to leese; tyme to kepe, and tyme to caste awei.
7 a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to be silent, and a time to speak;
Tyme to kitte, and tyme to sewe togidere; tyme to be stille, and tyme to speke.
8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
Tyme of loue, and tyme of hatrede; tyme of batel, and tyme of pees.
9 What advantage [has] he that works in those things wherein he labours?
What hath a man more of his trauel?
10 I have seen all the trouble, which God has given to the sons of men to be troubled with.
I siy the turment, which God yaf to the sones of men, that thei be occupied therynne.
11 All the things which he has made are beautiful in his time: he has also set the whole world in their heart, that man might not find out the work which God has wrought from the beginning even to the end.
God made alle thingis good in her tyme, and yaf the world to disputyng of hem, that a man fynde not the werk which God hath wrouyt fro the bigynnyng `til in to the ende.
12 I know that there is no good in them, except [for a man] to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
And Y knew that no thing was betere `to a man, `no but to be glad, and to do good werkis in his lijf.
13 Also [in the case of] every man who shall eat and drink, and see good in all his labour, [this] is a gift of God.
For whi ech man that etith and drinkith, and seeth good of his trauel; this is the yifte of God.
14 I know that whatever things God has done, they shall be for ever: it is impossible to add to it, and it is impossible to take away from it: and God has done [it], that [men] may fear before him.
I haue lerned that alle werkis, whiche God made, lasten stidfastli `til in to with outen ende; we moun not adde ony thing to tho, nether take awei fro tho thingis, whiche God made, that he be dred.
15 That which has been is now; and whatever things [are appointed] to be have already been; and God will seek out that which is past.
That thing that is maad, dwellith perfitli; tho thingis that schulen come, weren bifore; and God restorith that, that is goon.
16 And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgement, there was the ungodly one; and the place of righteousness, there was the godly one.
I siy vndur sunne vnfeithfulnesse in the place of doom; and wickidnesse in the place of riytfulnesse.
17 And I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the ungodly: for there is a time there for every action and for every work.
And Y seide in myn herte, The Lord schal deme a iust man, and an vnfeithful man; and the tyme of ech thing schal be thanne.
18 I said in my heart, concerning the speech of the sons of man, God will judge them, and that to show that they are breasts.
I seide in myn herte of the sones of men, that God schulde preue hem, and schewe that thei ben lijk vnresonable beestis.
19 Also to them is the event of the sons of man, and the event of the brute; one event befalls them: as is the death of the one, so also the death of the other; and there is one breath to all: and what has the man more than the brute? nothing; for all is vanity.
Therfor oon is the perisching of man and of beestis, and euene condicioun is of euer eithir; as a man dieth, `so and tho beestis dien; alle beestis brethen in lijk maner, and a man hath no thing more than a beeste.
20 All [go] to one place; all were formed of the dust, and all will return to dust.
Alle thingis ben suget to vanyte, and alle thingis goen to o place; tho ben maad of erthe, and tho turnen ayen togidere in to erthe.
21 And who has seen the spirit of the sons of man, whether it goes upward? and the spirit of the beast, whether it goes downward to the earth?
Who knowith, if the spirit of the sones of Adam stieth vpward, and if the spirit of beestis goith dounward?
22 And I saw that there was no good, but that wherein a man shall rejoice in his works, for it is his portion, for who shall bring him to see any thing of that which shall be after him?
And Y perseyuede that no thing is betere, than that a man be glad in his werk, and that this be his part; for who schal brynge hym, that he knowe thingis that schulen come after hym?
