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 get, 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 of war, 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 profit has he that works in that wherein he labors?

What more does a man have from his labor?

10 I have seen the travail, which God has given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

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 has made every thing beautiful in his time: also he has set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God makes from the beginning 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 no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do 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 every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labor, it 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, whatever God does, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God does 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 has been is now; and that which is to be has already been; and God requires 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 moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.

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

17 I said in my heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: 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 concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are 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 befalls the sons of men befalls beasts; even one thing befalls them: as the one dies, so dies the other; yes, they have all one breath; so that a man has no preeminence 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 to one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

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 knows the spirit of man that goes upward, and the spirit of the beast that goes 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 Why I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own 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?