Ecclesiastes 3

1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:

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

2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to be born, and a time to die, —A time to plant, and a time to uproot what 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 break down, and a time to build up;

4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh, —A time to wail, and a time to dance for joy;

5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

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;

6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to seek, and a time to give up as lost, —A time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to rend, and a time to sew, —A time to be silent, and a time to speak;

8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

A time to love and a time to hate, —A time of war, and a time of peace.

9 What profit has he who works in that in which he labors?

What profit hath he that worketh, in that wherein, himself, hath toiled?

10 I have seen the burden which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

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

11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their hearts, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God has done from the beginning even to the end.

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.

12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and to do good as long as they live.

I know that there is no blessedness in them, —save to be glad, and to do well with one’s life.

13 Also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor, is the gift of God.

Though indeed, that any man should eat and drink, and see blessedness, in all his toil, it is, the gift of God.

14 I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; and God has done it, that men should fear before him.

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.

15 That which is has been long ago, and that which is to be has been long ago. God seeks again that which is passed away.

That which was, already, had been, and, that which shall be, already, shall have been, —but, God, seeketh that which hath been chased away.

16 Moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.

Then, again, I saw under the sun, the place of justice, that there was lawlessness, and, the place of righteousness, that there was lawlessness.

17 I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”

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.

18 I said in my heart, “As for the sons of men, God tests them, so that they may see that they themselves are like animals.

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.

19 For that which happens to the sons of men happens to animals. Even one thing happens to them. As the one dies, so the other dies. Yes, they have all one breath; and man has no advantage over the animals, for all is vanity.

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:

20 All go to one place. All are from the dust, and all turn to dust again.

all, go unto one place, —all, came from the dust, and all, return to the dust.

21 Who knows the spirit of man, whether it goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, whether it goes downward to the earth?”

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?

22 Therefore I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his works, for that is his portion; for who can bring him to see what will be after him?

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?