Ecclesiastes 3

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

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

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 bring forth, And a time to die. A time to plant, And a time to eradicate the 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 slay, And a time to heal, A time to break 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 skip.

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 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 get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, 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 rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

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

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

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

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

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

11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set eternity in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning 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 no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do 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 every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it 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 know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear 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 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and 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 moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.

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 said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

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

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 a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.

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 go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

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 the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward 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 Wherefore 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 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?