Ecclesiastes 3

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

For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:

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

a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3 A time to slay, 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 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 skip.

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

a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 A time to seek, And a time to destroy. A time to keep, And a time to cast away.

a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 A time to tear, And a time to sew. A time to be silent, And a time to speak.

a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, 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 for war, and a time for peace.

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

What profit has he who works in that in which he labours?

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

I have seen the burden which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

11 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.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their hearts, yet so that man can’t find out the work that God has done from the beginning even to the end.

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

I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and to do good as long as they live.

13 indeed, even every man who eats and has drunk and seen good by all his labor, it [is] a gift of God.

Also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labour, is the gift of God.

14 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.

I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; and God has done it, that men should fear before him.

15 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.

That which is has been long ago, and that which is to be has been long ago. God seeks again that which is passed away.

16 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.

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.

17 I said in my heart, “The righteous and the wicked God judges, for a time [is] to every matter and for every work there.”

I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”

18 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.

I said in my heart, “As for the sons of men, God tests them, so that they may see that they themselves are like animals.

19 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.

For that which happens to the sons of men happens to animals. Even one thing happens to them. As the one dies, so the other dies. Yes, they have all one breath; and man has no advantage over the animals, for all is vanity.

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

All go to one place. All are from the dust, and all turn to dust again.

21 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?

Who knows the spirit of man, whether it goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, whether it goes downward to the earth?”

22 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?

Therefore I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his works, for that is his portion; for who can bring him to see what will be after him?