Ecclesiastes 3
1 Everything has its own time—a time for all that happens here:
For every thing there is a season; and a [proper] time is for every pursuit under the heavens.
2 A time of birth, and a time of death. A time of planting, and a time of harvest.
[There is] a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what hath been planted;
3 A time of killing, and a time of healing. A time of tearing down, and a time of 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 of crying, and a time of laughing. A time of mourning, and a time of dancing.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 A time of throwing away stones, and a time of gathering up stones. A time of embracing, and a time of avoiding embracing.
A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather up stones; a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embracing;
6 A time of searching, and a time of giving up searching. A time of keeping, and a time of throwing away.
A time to seek, and a time to let things be lost; a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
7 A time of tearing, and a time of mending. A time of keeping quiet, a time of speaking up.
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 A time of loving, and a time of hating. A time of warfare, and a time of peace.
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
9 So what do you get for all your hard work?
What profit hath [now] he that worketh in that wherein he toileth?
10 I have examined what God gives us to do.
I have seen the employment, which God hath given to the sons of men to busy themselves therewith.
11 Everything God does is beautifully timed, and even though he has also placed the idea of eternity in our minds, we can't fully understand what God does from beginning to end.
Every thing hath he made beautiful in its [proper] time: he hath also placed the eternity in their heart, without a man's being able to find out the work that God hath made from the beginning to the end.
12 I concluded that there's nothing better than being happy and looking for the good in life.
I know that there is nothing good [inherent] in them, but for every one to rejoice and to do what is good during [all] his life.
13 In addition everyone should eat and drink and enjoy their work—this is God's gift to us.
For also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy what is good for all his toil, is likewise a gift of God.
14 I also concluded that everything God does lasts forever: nothing can be added to it or taken away from it. God acts in this way so that people may stand in awe of him.
I know that whatsoever God doth, that will be for ever; to it nothing can be added, and from it there is nothing to be diminished: and God hath so made it, that men should be afraid of him.
15 Whatever was, is; and whatever will be, has been, and God examines the whole of time.
That which hath been hath long since appeared [again]; and what is to be hath already been; and God seeketh [again] that which is sped away.
16 I also observed that here on earth there was evil even in the place where there was supposed to be justice; even where things were meant to be right, there was evil.
And moreover I have seen under the sun, [that in] the place of justice, even there was wickedness; and [that in] the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness.
17 But then I thought to myself, “Ultimately God will judge both those who do right and those who do wrong, and every deed and action, at the appointed time.”
I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time for every pursuit; and on account of every deed there [will he judge].
18 I also thought to myself, “Regarding what happens to human beings—God proves to us that we're no better than animals.”
I said in my heart concerning the speaking of the sons of men, that God might make it clear to them, and that they might see that they by themselves are but beasts.
19 For what happens to human beings is the same as what happens to animals—in the same way one dies, the other dies too. They all have the breath of life—so regarding any advantage human beings have over animals, there is none. Definitely this is very hard to understand!
For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even the same thing befalleth them; as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one kind of spirit: so that the preeminence of man above the beast is nought; for all is vanity.
20 They all end up in the same place—they all came from dust, and they all return to dust.
Every thing goeth unto one place: every thing came from the dust, and every thing returneth to the dust.
21 Who really knows whether the breath of life of human beings goes up above, and the breath of life of animals goes down below to the earth?
Who knoweth the spirit of the sons of man that ascendeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that descendeth downward to the earth?
22 So I concluded that there's nothing better than for people to enjoy their work. This is what we are meant to do. For who can bring anyone back from the dead to show them what will happen after they die?
And so did I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion; for who can bring him to look with pleasure on what will be after him?
