Ecclesiastes 3

1 To everything — a season, and a time to every delight under the heavens:

To all things there is an appointed time, and a time to euery purpose vnder the heauen.

2 A time to bring forth, And a time to die. A time to plant, And a time to eradicate the planted.

A time to bee borne, and a time to die: a time to plant, and a time to plucke vp that which is planted.

3 A time to slay, And a time to heal, A time to break down, And a time to build up.

A time to slay, and a time to heale: a time to breake downe, and a time to builde.

4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh. A time to mourn, And a time to skip.

A time to weepe, and a time to laugh: a time to mourne, 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 embracing.

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones: a time to embrace, and a time to be farre from embracing.

6 A time to seek, And a time to destroy. A time to keep, And a time to cast away.

A time to seeke, and a time to lose: a time to keepe, 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 rent, and a time to sowe: a time to keepe silence, and a time to speake.

8 A time to love, And a time to hate. A time of war, And a time of peace.

A time to loue, and a time to hate: a time of warre, and a time of peace.

9 What advantage hath the doer in that which he is labouring at?

What profite hath hee that worketh of the thing wherein he trauaileth?

10 I have seen the travail that God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.

I haue seene the trauaile that God hath giuen to ye sonnes of men to humble them thereby.

11 The whole He hath made beautiful in its season; also, that knowledge He hath put in their heart without which man findeth not out the work that God hath done from the beginning even unto the end.

He hath made euery thing beautifull in his time: also he hath set the worlde in their heart, yet can not man finde out the worke that God hath wrought from the beginning euen to the end.

12 I have known that there is no good for them except to rejoice and to do good during their life,

I know that there is nothing good in them, but to reioyce, and to doe good in his life.

13 yea, even every man who eateth and hath drunk and seen good by all his labour, it [is] a gift of God.

And also that euery man eateth and drinketh, and seeth the commoditie of all his labour. this is the gift of God.

14 I have known that all that God doth is to the age, to it nothing is to be added, and from it nothing is to be withdrawn; and God hath wrought that they do fear before Him.

I knowe that whatsoeuer God shall doe, it shalbe for euer: to it can no man adde, and from it can none diminish: for God hath done it, that they should feare before him.

15 What is that which hath been? already it is, and that which [is] to be hath already been, and God requireth that which is pursued.

What is that that hath bene? that is nowe: and that that shalbe, hath now bene: for God requireth that which is past.

16 And again, I have seen under the sun the place of judgment — there [is] the wicked; and the place of righteousness — there [is] the wicked.

And moreouer I haue seene vnder the sunne the place of iudgement, where was wickednesse, and the place of iustice where was iniquitie.

17 I said in my heart, 'The righteous and the wicked doth God judge, for a time [is] to every matter and for every work there.'

I thought in mine heart, God wil iudge the iust and the wicked: for time is there for euery purpose and for euery worke.

18 I said in my heart concerning the matter of the sons of man that God might cleanse them, so as to see that they themselves [are] beasts.

I considered in mine heart the state of the children of men that God had purged them: yet to see to, they are in themselues as beastes.

19 For an event [is to] the sons of man, and an event [is to] the beasts, even one event [is] to them; as the death of this, so [is] the death of that; and one spirit [is] to all, and the advantage of man above the beast is nothing, for the whole [is] vanity.

For the condition of the children of men, and the condition of beasts are euen as one condition vnto them. As the one dyeth, so dyeth the other: for they haue all one breath, and there is no excellency of man aboue ye beast: for all is vanitie.

20 The whole are going unto one place, the whole have been from the dust, and the whole are turning back unto the dust.

All goe to one place, and all was of the dust, and all shall returne to the dust.

21 Who knoweth the spirit of the sons of man that is going up on high, and the spirit of the beast that is going down below to the earth?

Who knoweth whether the spirit of man ascend vpward, and the spirit of the beast descend downeward to the earth?

22 And I have seen that there is nothing better than that man rejoice in his works, for it [is] his portion; for who doth bring him in to look on that which is after him?

Therefore I see that there is nothing better then that a man shoulde reioyce in his affaires, because that is his portion. For who shall bring him to see what shalbe after him?