Ecclesiastes 3

1 Alle thingis han tyme, and alle thingis vndur sunne passen bi her spaces.

All things have their season, and in their times all things pass under 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 destroy, and a time to build.

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 scatter stones, and a time to gather. A time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.

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 of love, and a time of hatred. A time of war, and a time of peace.

9 What hath a man more of his trauel?

What hath man more of his labour?

10 I siy the turment, which God yaf to the sones of men, that thei be occupied therynne.

I have seen the trouble, which God hath given 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 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 And Y knew that no thing was betere `to a man, `no but to be glad, and to do good werkis in his lijf.

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

13 For whi ech man that etith and drinkith, and seeth good of his trauel; this is the yifte of God.

For every man that eateth and drinketh, and seeth good of his labour, this 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 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 thing that is maad, dwellith perfitli; tho thingis that schulen come, weren bifore; and God restorith that, that is goon.

That which hath been made, the same continueth: the things that shall be, have already been: and God restoreth that which is past.

16 I siy vndur sunne vnfeithfulnesse in the place of doom; and wickidnesse in the place of riytfulnesse.

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

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.

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 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 my heart concerning the sons of men, that God would prove them, and shew them to be like 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.

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 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.

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

21 Who knowith, if the spirit of the sones of Adam stieth vpward, and if the spirit of beestis goith dounward?

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

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?

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?