Ecclesiastes 3

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

All things have their season, and in their times all things pass under heaven.

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 pluck up that which is 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 destroy, and a time to build.

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 get, 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 keep silence, 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 wherein he laboureth?

What hath man more of his labour?

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

I have seen the trouble, which God hath given the sons of men to be exercised in 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 hath made all things good in their time, and hath delivered the world to their consideration, so that man cannot find out the work which God hath made from the beginning to the end.

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

And I have known that there was no better thing than to rejoice, and to do well in this life.

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

For every man that eateth and drinketh, and seeth good of his labour, this is the 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 hath done it, that men should fear before him.

I have learned that all the works which God hath made, continue for ever: we cannot add any thing, nor take away from those things which God hath made that he may be feared.

15 That which is hath been already; and that which is to be hath already been: and God seeketh again that which is passed away.

That which hath been made, the same continueth: the things that shall be, have already been: and God restoreth that which is past.

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

I saw under the sun in the place of judgment wickedness, and in the place of justice iniquity.

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.

And I said in my heart: God shall judge both the just and the wicked, and then shall be the time of every thing.

18 I said in mine heart, [It is] because of the sons of men, that God may prove them, and that they may see that they themselves are [but as] beasts.

I said in my heart concerning the sons of men, that God would prove them, and shew them to be like 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; and man hath no preeminence above the beasts: for all is vanity.

Therefore the death of man, and of beasts is one, and the condition of them both is equal: as man dieth, so they also die: all things breathe alike, and man hath nothing more than beast: all things are subject to vanity.

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

And all things go to one place: of earth they were made, and into earth they 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 knoweth if the spirit of the children of Adam ascend upward, and if the spirit of the beasts descend downward?

22 Wherefore I saw that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him [back] to see what shall be after him?

And I have found that nothing is better than for a man to rejoice in his work, and that this is his portion. For who shall bring him to know the things that shall be after him?