Ecclesiastes 3

1 For, every thing, there is a season, —and a time for every pursuit, under the heavens: —

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

2 A time to be born, and a time to die, —A time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted;

a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,

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,

4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh, —A time to wail, and a time to dance for joy;

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 loving embrace;

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 give up as lost, —A time to keep, and a time to cast away;

a time to search and a time to count as lost, a time to keep and a time to discard,

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew, —A time to be silent, and a time to speak;

a time to tear and a time to mend, 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 for war and a time for peace.

9 What profit hath he that worketh, in that wherein, himself, hath toiled?

What does the worker gain from his toil?

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

I have seen the burden that God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them.

11 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.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom the work that God has done from beginning to end.

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

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

13 Though indeed, that any man should eat and drink, and see blessedness, in all his toil, it is, the gift of God.

and also that every man should eat and drink and find satisfaction in all his labor—this is the gift of God.

14 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.

I know that everything God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God does it so that they should fear Him.

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

What exists has already been, and what will be has already been, for God will call to account what has passed.

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

Furthermore, I saw under the sun that in the place of judgment there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.

17 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.

I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every deed.”

18 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.

I said to myself, “As for the sons of men, God tests them so that they may see for themselves that they are but beasts.”

19 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:

For the fates of both men and beasts are the same: As one dies, so dies the other—they all have the same breath. Man has no advantage over the animals, since everything is futile.

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

All go to one place; all come from dust, and all return to dust.

21 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?

Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and the spirit of the animal descends into the earth?

22 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?

I have seen that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will come after him?