Ecclesiastes 3

1 All things have their season, and in their times all things pass 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 destroy, and a time to build.

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

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

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

9 What hath man more of his labour?

What does the worker gain from his toil?

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

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

11 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.

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

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

13 For every man that eateth and drinketh, and seeth good of his labour, this 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 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.

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

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

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

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

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 concerning the sons of men, that God would prove them, and shew them to be like 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 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.

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

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

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

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

22 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?

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?