Ecclesiastes 3
1 For everything there is an appointed time, and a season for every purpose under heaven.
For everything there is a fixed time, and a time for every business under the sun.
2 There is a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pull up plants,
A time for birth and a time for death; a time for planting and a time for uprooting;
3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to put to death and a time to make well; a time for pulling down and a time for building up;
4 There is a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
A time for weeping and a time for laughing; a time for sorrow and a time for dancing;
5 a time to throw away stones and a time to gather stones, a time to embrace other people, and a time to refrain from embracing.
A time to take stones away and a time to get stones together; a time for kissing and a time to keep from kissing;
6 There is a time to look for things and a time to stop looking, a time to keep things and a time to throw away things,
A time for search and a time for loss; a time to keep and a time to give away;
7 a time to tear clothing and a time to repair clothing, a time to keep silent and a time to speak.
A time for undoing and a time for stitching; a time for keeping quiet and a time for talk;
8 There is a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
A time for love and a time for hate; a time for war and a time for peace.
9 What profit does the worker gain in his labor?
What profit has the worker in the work which he does?
10 I have seen the work that God has given to human beings to complete.
I saw the work which God has put on the sons of man.
11 God has made everything suitable for its own time. He has also placed eternity in their hearts. But mankind cannot understand the deeds that God has done, from their beginning all the way to their end.
He has made everything right in its time; but he has made their hearts without knowledge, so that man is unable to see the works of God, from the first to the last.
12 I know that there is nothing better for anyone than to rejoice and to do good so long as he lives—
I am certain that there is nothing better for a man than to be glad, and to do good while life is in him.
13 and that everyone should eat and drink, and should understand how to enjoy the good that comes from all his work. This is a gift from God.
And for every man to take food and drink, and have joy in all his work, is a reward from God.
14 I know that whatever God does lasts forever. Nothing can be added to it or taken away, because it is God who has done it so that people will approach him with honor.
I am certain that whatever God does will be for ever. No addition may be made to it, nothing may be taken from it; and God has done it so that man may be in fear before him.
15 Whatever exists has already existed; whatever will exist has already existed. God makes human beings seek hidden things.
Whatever is has been before, and what is to be is now; because God makes search for the things which are past.
16 I have seen the wickedness that is under the sun, where there should be justice, and in place of righteousness, wickedness was there.
And again, I saw under the sun, in the place of the judges, that evil was there; and in the place of righteousness, that evil was there.
17 I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked at the right time for every matter and every deed.”
I said in my heart, God will be judge of the good and of the bad; because a time for every purpose and for every work has been fixed by him.
18 I said in my heart, “God tests human beings to show them that they are like animals.”
I said in my heart, It is because of the sons of men, so that God may put them to the test and that they may see themselves as beasts.
19 For the fate of the children of mankind and the fate of animals is the same fate for them. The death of one is like the death of the other. The breath is the same for all of them. There is no advantage for mankind over the animals. For is not everything just a breath?
Because the fate of the sons of men and the fate of the beasts is the same. As is the death of one so is the death of the other, and all have one spirit. Man is not higher than the beasts; because all is to no purpose.
20 Everything is going to the same place. Everything comes from the dust, and everything returns to the dust.
All go to one place, all are of the dust, and all will be turned to dust again.
21 Who knows whether the spirit of mankind goes upward and the spirit of animals goes downward into the earth?
Who is certain that the spirit of the sons of men goes up to heaven, or that the spirit of the beasts goes down to the earth?
22 So again I realized that there is nothing better for anyone than to take pleasure in his work, for that is his assignment. Who can bring him back to see what happens after him?
So I saw that there is nothing better than for a man to have joy in his work — because that is his reward. Who will make him see what will come after him?
