Ecclesiastes 3

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

To everything—a season, and a time to every delight under the heavens:

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 bring forth, And a time to die. A time to plant, And a time to eradicate the planted.

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

A time to slay, And a time to heal, A time to break 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 skip.

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 cast away stones, And a time to heap up stones. A time to embrace, And a time to be far from embracing.

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

A time to seek, And a time to destroy. 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 tear, 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 to love, And a time to hate. A time of war, And a time of peace.

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

What advantage does the doer have in that which he is laboring at?

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

I have seen the travail that God has given to the sons of man to be humbled 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.

The whole He has made beautiful in its season; also, that knowledge He has put in their heart without which man does not find out the work that God has done from the beginning even to the end.

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

I have known that there is no good for them except to rejoice and to do good during their life,

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

indeed, even every man who eats and has drunk and seen good by all his labor, it [is] a gift of 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 have known that all that God does is for all time, to it nothing is to be added, and from it nothing is to be withdrawn; and God has worked that they 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.

What is that which has been? Already it is, and that which [is] to be has already been, and God requires that which is pursued.

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 have seen under the sun the place of judgment—there [is] the wicked; and the place of righteousness—there [is] the wicked.

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, “The righteous and the wicked God judges, for a time [is] to every matter and for every work there.”

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 concerning the matter of the sons of man that God might cleanse them, so as to see that they themselves [are] 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.

For an event [is to] the sons of man, and an event [is to] the beasts, even one event [is] to them; as the death of this, so [is] the death of that; and one spirit [is] to all, and the advantage of man above the beast is nothing, for the whole [is] vanity.

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

The whole are going to one place, the whole have been from the dust, and the whole are turning back to the dust.

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

Who knows the spirit of the sons of man that is going up on high, and the spirit of the beast that is going down below 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?

And I have seen that there is nothing better than that man rejoice in his works, for it [is] his portion; for who brings him to look on that which is after him?