Ecclesiastes 3

1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

To everything — a season, and a time to every delight 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 bring forth, And a time to die. A time to plant, And a time to eradicate the 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 slay, 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 mourn, And a time to skip.

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 embracing.

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

7 A time to rend, 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 hath he that worketh in that he laboureth?

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

10 I have seen the task which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.

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

11 He hath made every thing beautiful in its time; also He hath set the world in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end.

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.

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

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

13 But also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy pleasure for all his labour, is the gift of God.

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

14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever; nothing can be added to it, nor any thing taken from it; and God hath so made it, that men should fear before Him.

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.

15 That which is hath been long ago, and that which is to be hath already been; and God seeketh that which is pursued.

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.

16 And 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.

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.

17 I said in my heart: 'The righteous and the wicked God will judge; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.'

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.'

18 I said in my heart: 'It is because of the sons of men, that God may sift them, and that they may see that they themselves are but as beasts.'

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.

19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them; as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that man hath no pre-eminence above a beast; for all is vanity.

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.

20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all return to dust.

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

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

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?

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

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?