Ecclesiastes 3

1 All things have their time, and all things under heaven continue during their interval.

All things have their season, and in their times all things pass under heaven.

2 A time to be born, and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to pull up what was planted.

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 kill, and a time to heal. A time to tear down, and a time to build up.

A time to kill, and a time to heal. A time to destroy, 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 scatter stones, and a time to gather. A time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.

A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather. A time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.

6 A time to gain, and a time to lose. A time to keep, and a time to cast away.

A time to get, and a time to lose. A time to keep, and a time to cast away.

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew. A time to be silent, and a time to speak.

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

8 A time of love, and a time of hatred. A time of war, and a time of peace.

A time of love, and a time of hatred. A time of war, and a time of peace.

9 What more does a man have from his labor?

What hath man more of his labour?

10 I have seen the affliction that God has given to the sons of men, in order that they may be occupied by it.

I have seen the trouble, which God hath given the sons of men to be exercised in it.

11 He has made all things good in their time, and he has handed over the world to their disputes, so that man may not discover the work which God made from the beginning, even until the end.

He hath made all things good in their time, and hath delivered the world to their consideration, so that man cannot find out the work which God hath made from the beginning to the end.

12 And I realize that there is nothing better than to rejoice, and to do well in this life.

And I have known that there was no better thing than to rejoice, and to do well in this life.

13 For this is a gift from God: when each man eats and drinks, and sees the good results of his labor.

For every man that eateth and drinketh, and seeth good of his labour, this is the gift of God.

14 I have learned that all the works which God has made continue on, in perpetuity. We are not able to add anything, nor to take anything away, from those things which God has made in order that he may be feared.

I have learned that all the works which God hath made, continue for ever: we cannot add any thing, nor take away from those things which God hath made that he may be feared.

15 What has been made, the same continues. What is in the future, has already existed. And God restores what has passed away.

That which hath been made, the same continueth: the things that shall be, have already been: and God restoreth that which is past.

16 I saw under the sun: instead of judgment, impiety, and instead of justice, iniquity.

I saw under the sun in the place of judgment wickedness, and in the place of justice iniquity.

17 And I said in my heart: “God will judge the just and the impious, and then the time for each matter shall be.”

And I said in my heart: God shall judge both the just and the wicked, and then shall be the time of every thing.

18 I said in my heart, about the sons of men, that God would test them, and reveal them to be like wild animals.

I said in my heart concerning the sons of men, that God would prove them, and shew them to be like beasts.

19 For this reason, the passing away of man and of beasts is one, and the condition of both is equal. For as a man dies, so also do they die. All things breathe similarly, and man has nothing more than beast; for all these are subject to vanity.

Therefore the death of man, and of beasts is one, and the condition of them both is equal: as man dieth, so they also die: all things breathe alike, and man hath nothing more than beast: all things are subject to vanity.

20 And all things continue on to one place; for from the earth they were made, and unto the earth they shall return together.

And all things go to one place: of earth they were made, and into earth they return together.

21 Who knows if the spirit of the sons of Adam ascend upward, and if the spirit of the beasts descend downward?

Who knoweth if the spirit of the children of Adam ascend upward, and if the spirit of the beasts descend downward?

22 And I have discovered nothing to be better than for a man to rejoice in his work: for this is his portion. And who shall add to him, so that he may know the things that will occur after him?

And I have found that nothing is better than for a man to rejoice in his work, and that this is his portion. For who shall bring him to know the things that shall be after him?