Ecclesiastes 3

1 To all things there is an appointed time, and a time to euery purpose vnder the heauen.

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

2 A time to bee borne, and a time to die: a time to plant, and a time to plucke vp that which is planted.

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

3 A time to slay, and a time to heale: a time to breake downe, and a time to builde.

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

4 A time to weepe, and a time to laugh: a time to mourne, and a time to dance.

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

5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones: a time to embrace, and a time to be farre from embracing.

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

6 A time to seeke, and a time to lose: a time to keepe, and a time to cast away.

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

7 A time to rent, and a time to sowe: a time to keepe silence, and a time to speake.

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

8 A time to loue, and a time to hate: a time of warre, and a time of peace.

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

9 What profite hath hee that worketh of the thing wherein he trauaileth?

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

10 I haue seene the trauaile that God hath giuen to ye sonnes of men to humble them thereby.

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

11 He hath made euery thing beautifull in his time: also he hath set the worlde in their heart, yet can not man finde out the worke that God hath wrought from the beginning euen to the end.

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.

12 I know that there is nothing good in them, but to reioyce, and to doe good in his life.

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

13 And also that euery man eateth and drinketh, and seeth the commoditie of all his labour. this is the gift of God.

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

14 I knowe that whatsoeuer God shall doe, it shalbe for euer: to it can no man adde, and from it can none diminish: for God hath done it, that they should feare before him.

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.

15 What is that that hath bene? that is nowe: and that that shalbe, hath now bene: for God requireth that which is past.

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

16 And moreouer I haue seene vnder the sunne the place of iudgement, where was wickednesse, and the place of iustice where was iniquitie.

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.

17 I thought in mine heart, God wil iudge the iust and the wicked: for time is there for euery purpose and for euery worke.

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.

18 I considered in mine heart the state of the children of men that God had purged them: yet to see to, they are in themselues as beastes.

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.

19 For the condition of the children of men, and the condition of beasts are euen as one condition vnto them. As the one dyeth, so dyeth the other: for they haue all one breath, and there is no excellency of man aboue ye beast: for all is vanitie.

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.

20 All goe to one place, and all was of the dust, and all shall returne to the dust.

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

21 Who knoweth whether the spirit of man ascend vpward, and the spirit of the beast descend downeward to the earth?

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?

22 Therefore I see that there is nothing better then that a man shoulde reioyce in his affaires, because that is his portion. For who shall bring him to see what shalbe after him?

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?