Ecclesiastes 3

1 All things have their time, and all things under heaven continue during their interval.

For every thing there is a fixed period, and an appointed time to every thing under heaven: —

2 A time to be born, and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to pull up what was planted.

A time to be born, and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted.

3 A time to kill, and a time to heal. A time to tear down, and a time to build up.

A time to kill, and a time to heal. A time to breaking 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 mourn, and a time to dance.

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

A time to cast stones asunder, and a time to gather stones together. A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.

6 A time to gain, and a time to lose. A time to keep, and a time to cast away.

A time to seek, and a time to lose. A time to keep, 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 rend, and a time to sew. A time to keep silence, and a time to speak.

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

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

9 What more does a man have from his labor?

What profit hath he who laboreth from that with which he wearieth himself?

10 I have seen the affliction that God has given to the sons of men, in order that they may be occupied by it.

I have seen the business which God hath given to the sons of men to exercise themselves therewith.

11 He has made all things good in their time, and he has handed over the world to their disputes, so that man may not discover the work which God made from the beginning, even until the end.

God maketh every thing good in its time; but he hath put the world into the heart of man, so that he understandeth not the work which God doeth, from the beginning to the end.

12 And I realize that there is nothing better than to rejoice, and to do well in this life.

I know that there is nothing better for a man than that he should rejoice and enjoy good his life long.

13 For this is a gift from God: when each man eats and drinks, and sees the good results of his labor.

But when a man eateth and drinketh, and enjoyeth good through all his labor, this is the gift of God.

14 I have learned that all the works which God has made continue on, in perpetuity. We are not able to add anything, nor to take anything away, from those things which God has made in order that he may be feared.

I know that whatever God doeth, that shall be for ever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it; and God doeth it that men may fear before him.

15 What has been made, the same continues. What is in the future, has already existed. And God restores what has passed away.

That which is, was long ago; and that which is to be, hath already been; and God recalleth that which is past.

16 I saw under the sun: instead of judgment, impiety, and instead of justice, iniquity.

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

17 And I said in my heart: “God will judge the just and the impious, and then the time for each matter shall be.”

Then said I in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked.” For there shall be a time for every matter and for every work.

18 I said in my heart, about the sons of men, that God would test them, and reveal them to be like wild animals.

I said in my heart concerning the sons of men, that God will prove them, in order that they may see that they are like the beasts.

19 For this reason, the passing away of man and of beasts is one, and the condition of both is equal. For as a man dies, so also do they die. All things breathe similarly, and man has nothing more than beast; for all these are subject to vanity.

For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts: one lot befalleth both. As the one dieth, so dieth the other. Yea, there is one spirit in them, and a man hath no pre-eminence above a beast; for all is vanity.

20 And all things continue on to one place; for from the earth they were made, and unto the earth they shall return together.

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

21 Who knows if the spirit of the sons of Adam ascend upward, and if the spirit of the beasts descend downward?

Who knoweth the spirit of man, whether it goeth upward, and the spirit of a beast, whether it goeth downward to the earth?

22 And I have discovered nothing to be better than for a man to rejoice in his work: for this is his portion. And who shall add to him, so that he may know the things that will occur after him?

And so I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his labors; for that is his portion. For who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?