Ecclesiastes 3
1 Alle thingis han tyme, and alle thingis vndur sunne passen bi her spaces.
To every [thing there is] a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 Tyme of birthe, and time of diyng; tyme to plaunte, and tyme to drawe vp that that is plauntid.
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 Tyme to sle, and tyme to make hool; tyme to distrie, and tyme to bilde.
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 Tyme to wepe, and tyme to leiye; tyme to biweile, and tyme to daunse.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 Tyme to scatere stoonys, and tyme to gadere togidere; tyme to colle, and tyme to be fer fro collyngis.
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 Tyme to wynne, and tyme to leese; tyme to kepe, and tyme to caste awei.
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 Tyme to kitte, and tyme to sewe togidere; tyme to be stille, and tyme to speke.
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 Tyme of loue, and tyme of hatrede; tyme of batel, and tyme of pees.
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
9 What hath a man more of his trauel?
What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?
10 I siy the turment, which God yaf to the sones of men, that thei be occupied therynne.
I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
11 God made alle thingis good in her tyme, and yaf the world to disputyng of hem, that a man fynde not the werk which God hath wrouyt fro the bigynnyng `til in to the ende.
He hath made every [thing] beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
12 And Y knew that no thing was betere `to a man, `no but to be glad, and to do good werkis in his lijf.
I know that [there is] no good in them, but for [a man] to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
13 For whi ech man that etith and drinkith, and seeth good of his trauel; this is the yifte of God.
And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it [is] the gift of God.
14 I haue lerned that alle werkis, whiche God made, lasten stidfastli `til in to with outen ende; we moun not adde ony thing to tho, nether take awei fro tho thingis, whiche God made, that he be dred.
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 doeth [it], that [men] should fear before him.
15 That thing that is maad, dwellith perfitli; tho thingis that schulen come, weren bifore; and God restorith that, that is goon.
That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.
16 I siy vndur sunne vnfeithfulnesse in the place of doom; and wickidnesse in the place of riytfulnesse.
And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, [that] wickedness [was] there; and the place of righteousness, [that] iniquity [was] there.
17 And Y seide in myn herte, The Lord schal deme a iust man, and an vnfeithful man; and the tyme of ech thing schal be thanne.
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.
18 I seide in myn herte of the sones of men, that God schulde preue hem, and schewe that thei ben lijk vnresonable beestis.
I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.
19 Therfor oon is the perisching of man and of beestis, and euene condicioun is of euer eithir; as a man dieth, `so and tho beestis dien; alle beestis brethen in lijk maner, and a man hath no thing more than a beeste.
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; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all [is] vanity.
20 Alle thingis ben suget to vanyte, and alle thingis goen to o place; tho ben maad of erthe, and tho turnen ayen togidere in to erthe.
All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
21 Who knowith, if the spirit of the sones of Adam stieth vpward, and if the spirit of beestis goith dounward?
Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?
22 And Y perseyuede that no thing is betere, than that a man be glad in his werk, and that this be his part; for who schal brynge hym, that he knowe thingis that schulen come after hym?
Wherefore I perceive that [there is] nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that [is] his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?
