Ecclesiastes 3

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

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

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

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

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

4 A time to weepe, and a time to laugh: a time to mourne, 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 cast away stones, and a time to gather stones: a time to embrace, and a time to be farre from embracing.

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

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

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

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

8 A time to loue, and a time to hate: a time of warre, 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 profite hath hee that worketh of the thing wherein he trauaileth?

What more does a man have from his labor?

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

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

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 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.

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

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

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

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

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 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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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, about the sons of men, that God would test them, and reveal them to be like wild animals.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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?

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?