# Ecclesiastes 3.1-8
**Book:** [Ecclesiastes](/codex/ecclesiastes/) · NASB95
## Immediate context (±2 verses)
**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> **1. For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: 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; 3. 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; 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; 6. 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 keep silence, and a time to speak; 8. a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.**
>
> 9. What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboreth? 10. I have seen the travail which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-10, ASV)
**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> **1. For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: 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; 3. 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; 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; 6. a time to seek, and a time to lose; 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; 8. a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.**
>
> 9. What profit has he who works in that in which he labors? 10. I have seen the burden which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-10, WEB)
**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> **1. To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 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; to be: Heb. to bear 3. 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; 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; to refrain from: Heb. to be far from 6. A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; get: or, seek 7. A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8. 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 wherein he laboureth? 10. I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-10, KJV)
**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> **1. To everything, a season, and a time to every delight under the heavens: 2. 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 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 skip. 5. 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 destroy. 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. 8. A time to love, And a time to hate. A time of war, And a time of peace.**
>
> 9. What advantage hath the doer in that which he is labouring at? 10. I have seen the travail that God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-10, YLT)
## Setting
- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_
## Theological reading
_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._
## Key words
_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word._
- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_
## Quoted in
**Arguments and defeaters:**
- [Bible Contradictions Objection Defeater](/codex/bible-contradictions-objection-defeater/), via [Ecclesiastes 3.3](/codex/ecclesiastes-3-3/)
**Lexicon:**
- [H7523 - ratsach](/codex/h7523-ratsach/), via [Ecclesiastes 3.3](/codex/ecclesiastes-3-3/)
## Notes
_Your annotations._
## Why these four translations
ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.
The four:
- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.
See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.