Ecclesiastes 3
1 For every thing there is a season; and a [proper] time is for every pursuit under the heavens.
Alle thingis han tyme, and alle thingis vndur sunne passen bi her spaces.
2 [There is] a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what hath been planted;
Tyme of birthe, and time of diyng; tyme to plaunte, and tyme to drawe vp that that is plauntid.
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
Tyme to sle, and tyme to make hool; tyme to distrie, and tyme to bilde.
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
Tyme to wepe, and tyme to leiye; tyme to biweile, and tyme to daunse.
5 A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather up stones; a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embracing;
Tyme to scatere stoonys, and tyme to gadere togidere; tyme to colle, and tyme to be fer fro collyngis.
6 A time to seek, and a time to let things be lost; a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
Tyme to wynne, and tyme to leese; tyme to kepe, and tyme to caste awei.
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
Tyme to kitte, and tyme to sewe togidere; tyme to be stille, and tyme to speke.
8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
Tyme of loue, and tyme of hatrede; tyme of batel, and tyme of pees.
9 What profit hath [now] he that worketh in that wherein he toileth?
What hath a man more of his trauel?
10 I have seen the employment, which God hath given to the sons of men to busy themselves therewith.
I siy the turment, which God yaf to the sones of men, that thei be occupied therynne.
11 Every thing hath he made beautiful in its [proper] time: he hath also placed the eternity in their heart, without a man's being able to find out the work that God hath made from the beginning to the end.
God made alle thingis good in her tyme, and yaf the world to disputyng of hem, that a man fynde not the werk which God hath wrouyt fro the bigynnyng `til in to the ende.
12 I know that there is nothing good [inherent] in them, but for every one to rejoice and to do what is good during [all] his life.
And Y knew that no thing was betere `to a man, `no but to be glad, and to do good werkis in his lijf.
13 For also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy what is good for all his toil, is likewise a gift of God.
For whi ech man that etith and drinkith, and seeth good of his trauel; this is the yifte of God.
14 I know that whatsoever God doth, that will be for ever; to it nothing can be added, and from it there is nothing to be diminished: and God hath so made it, that men should be afraid of him.
I haue lerned that alle werkis, whiche God made, lasten stidfastli `til in to with outen ende; we moun not adde ony thing to tho, nether take awei fro tho thingis, whiche God made, that he be dred.
15 That which hath been hath long since appeared [again]; and what is to be hath already been; and God seeketh [again] that which is sped away.
That thing that is maad, dwellith perfitli; tho thingis that schulen come, weren bifore; and God restorith that, that is goon.
16 And moreover I have seen under the sun, [that in] the place of justice, even there was wickedness; and [that in] the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness.
I siy vndur sunne vnfeithfulnesse in the place of doom; and wickidnesse in the place of riytfulnesse.
17 I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time for every pursuit; and on account of every deed there [will he judge].
And Y seide in myn herte, The Lord schal deme a iust man, and an vnfeithful man; and the tyme of ech thing schal be thanne.
18 I said in my heart concerning the speaking of the sons of men, that God might make it clear to them, and that they might see that they by themselves are but beasts.
I seide in myn herte of the sones of men, that God schulde preue hem, and schewe that thei ben lijk vnresonable beestis.
19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even the same thing befalleth them; as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one kind of spirit: so that the preeminence of man above the beast is nought; for all is vanity.
Therfor oon is the perisching of man and of beestis, and euene condicioun is of euer eithir; as a man dieth, `so and tho beestis dien; alle beestis brethen in lijk maner, and a man hath no thing more than a beeste.
20 Every thing goeth unto one place: every thing came from the dust, and every thing returneth to the dust.
Alle thingis ben suget to vanyte, and alle thingis goen to o place; tho ben maad of erthe, and tho turnen ayen togidere in to erthe.
21 Who knoweth the spirit of the sons of man that ascendeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that descendeth downward to the earth?
Who knowith, if the spirit of the sones of Adam stieth vpward, and if the spirit of beestis goith dounward?
22 And so did I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion; for who can bring him to look with pleasure on what will be after him?
And Y perseyuede that no thing is betere, than that a man be glad in his werk, and that this be his part; for who schal brynge hym, that he knowe thingis that schulen come after hym?
