Ecclesiastes 3

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

To all things there is a time, and a season for every matter 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 of birth, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what has been 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 pull down, and a time to build up;

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 lament, 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 throw stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to abstain 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 seek, 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 be silent, 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 of war, and a time of 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, himself, hath toiled?

What advantage [has] he that works in those things wherein he labours?

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

I have seen all the trouble, which God has given to the sons of men to be troubled with.

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.

All the things which he has made are beautiful in his time: he has also set the whole world in their heart, that man might not find out the work which God has wrought from the beginning even to the 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 no good in them, except [for a man] to rejoice, and to do good in his life.

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

Also [in the case of] every man who shall eat and drink, and see good in all his labour, [this] is a 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 whatsoever things God has done, they shall be for ever: it is impossible to add to it, and it is impossible to take away from it: and God has done [it], that [men] may fear before 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.

That which has been is now; and whatever things [are appointed] to be have already been; and God will seek out that which is past.

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.

And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, there was the ungodly one; and the place of righteousness, there was the godly one.

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.

And I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the ungodly: for there is a time there for every action and for every work.

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 in my heart, concerning the speech of the sons of man, God will judge them, and that to shew that they are breasts.

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:

Also to them is the event of the sons of man, and the event of the brute; one event befalls them: as is the death of the one, so also the death of the other; and there is one breath to all: and what has the man more than the brute? nothing; for all is vanity.

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

All [go] to one place; all were formed of the dust, and all will 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?

And who has seen the spirit of the sons of man, whether it goes upward? and the spirit of the beast, whether it goes downward to 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?

And I saw that there was no good, but that wherein a man shall rejoice in his works, for it is his portion, for who shall bring him to see any thing of that which shall be after him?