Ecclesiastes 3

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

For, every thing, there is a season, —and a time for every pursuit, 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 be born, and a time to die, —A time to plant, and a time to uproot what 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 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 wail, and a time to dance for joy;

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 loving embrace;

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

A time to seek, and a time to give up as lost, —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 for war, and a time for 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 profit hath he that worketh, in that wherein, himself, hath toiled?

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

I looked at the employment which God hath given to the sons of men, to work therein:

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.

Everything, hath he made beautiful in its own time, —also, intelligence, hath he put in their heart, without which men could not find out the work which God hath wrought, from the beginning even unto the end.

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

I know that there is no blessedness in them, —save to be glad, and to do well with one’s life.

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

Though indeed, that any man should eat and drink, and see blessedness, in all his toil, it 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 know, that, whatsoever God doeth, the same, shall be age-abiding, unto it, there is nothing to add, and, from it, there is nothing to take away, —and, God, hath done it, that men should stand in awe before him.

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 was, already, had been, and, that which shall be, already, shall have been, —but, God, seeketh that which hath been chased away.

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.

Then, again, I saw under the sun, the place of justice, that there was lawlessness, and, the place of righteousness, that there was lawlessness.

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.

Said, I, in my heart, Both the righteous and the lawless, will God judge, —for [there will be] a time for every pursuit, and concerning every work—there.

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.

Said, I, in my heart, as concerning the sons of men, That God was minded to prove them, —and that they might see, that they were beasts, of themselves.

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.

For, as regardeth the destiny of the sons of men and the destiny of beasts, one fate, have they, as dieth the one, so, dieth the other, and, one spirit, have they all, —and, the pre-eminence of man over beast, is nothing, for, all, were vanity:

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

all, go unto one place, —all, came from the dust, and all, return to the dust.

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 the spirit of the sons of men, whether it, ascendeth, above, —or the spirit of the beast, whether it, descendeth, below, to the earth?

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?

So I saw, that there was nothing better than that a man should be glad in his works, for, that, is his portion, —for who can bring him in, to look upon that which shall be after him?