Ecclesiastes 3
1 To all things there is an appointed time, and a time to euery purpose vnder the heauen.
For, every thing, there is a season, —and a time for every pursuit, under the heavens: —
2 A time to bee borne, and a time to die: a time to plant, and a time to plucke vp 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 slay, and a time to heale: a time to breake downe, and a time to builde.
A time to kill, and a time to heal, —A time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 A time to weepe, and a time to laugh: a time to mourne, 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: a time to embrace, and a time to be farre 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 seeke, and a time to lose: a time to keepe, 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 rent, and a time to sowe: a time to keepe silence, and a time to speake.
A time to rend, and a time to sew, —A time to be silent, and a time to speak;
8 A time to loue, and a time to hate: a time of warre, 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 profite hath hee that worketh of the thing wherein he trauaileth?
What profit hath he that worketh, in that wherein, himself, hath toiled?
10 I haue seene the trauaile that God hath giuen to ye sonnes of men to humble them thereby.
I looked at the employment which God hath given to the sons of men, to work therein:
11 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.
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 good in them, but to reioyce, and to doe good in his life.
I know that there is no blessedness in them, —save to be glad, and to do well with one’s life.
13 And also that euery man eateth and drinketh, and seeth the commoditie of all his labour. this 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 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.
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 What is that that hath bene? that is nowe: and that that shalbe, hath now bene: for God requireth that which is past.
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 And moreouer I haue seene vnder the sunne the place of iudgement, where was wickednesse, and the place of iustice where was iniquitie.
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 thought in mine heart, God wil iudge the iust and the wicked: for time is there for euery purpose and for euery worke.
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 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.
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 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.
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 goe to one place, and all was of the dust, and all shall returne to the dust.
all, go unto one place, —all, came from the dust, and all, return to the dust.
21 Who knoweth whether the spirit of man ascend vpward, and the spirit of the beast descend downeward 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 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?
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?
