Ecclesiastes 3

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

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 uproot what 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 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 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 give up as lost, —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 be silent, 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 of war, and a time of 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, himself, hath toiled?

What hath man more of his labour?

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

I have seen the trouble, which God hath given the sons of men to be exercised in it.

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 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 no blessedness in them, —save to be glad, and to do well with one’s life.

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

13 Though indeed, that any man should eat and drink, and see blessedness, in all his toil, it 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, 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 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 was, already, had been, and, that which shall be, already, shall have been, —but, God, seeketh that which hath been chased 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 Then, again, I saw under the sun, the place of justice, that there was lawlessness, and, the place of righteousness, that there was lawlessness.

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

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 shall judge both the just and the wicked, and then shall be the time of every thing.

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 sons of men, that God would prove them, and shew them to be like 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:

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, came from the dust, and all, return to the dust.

And all things go to one place: of earth they were made, and into earth they return together.

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 knoweth if the spirit of the children of Adam ascend upward, and if the spirit of the beasts descend downward?

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 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?