Ecclesiastes 3

1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

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

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 pull up what was planted.

3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

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

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 cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain 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 seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, 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 rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

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

8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

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

9 What profit hath he that worketh in that he laboureth?

What more does a man have from his labor?

10 I have seen the task which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.

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 every thing beautiful in its time; also He hath set the world in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even 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 better for them, than to rejoice, and to get pleasure so long as they live.

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

13 But also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy pleasure for all his labour, 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 know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever; nothing can be added to it, nor any thing taken from it; and God hath so made it, that men should fear 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 That which is hath been long ago, and that which is to be hath already been; and God seeketh that which is pursued.

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

16 And moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.

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

17 I said in my heart: 'The righteous and the wicked God will judge; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.'

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 said in my heart: 'It is because of the sons of men, that God may sift them, and that they may see that they themselves are but as beasts.'

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 that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them; as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that man hath no pre-eminence above a beast; for all is vanity.

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 go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all return to 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 the spirit of man whether it goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast whether it goeth downward 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 Wherefore I perceived that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion; for who shall bring him to see what shall be 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?