# Ecclesiastes 3.3

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-09-27 | updated: 2026-09-27 -->

**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; (Ecclesiastes 3:1-5, 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; (Ecclesiastes 3:1-5, 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; <sup>to be: Heb. to bear</sup>
>
> **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; <sup>to refrain from: Heb. to be far from</sup> (Ecclesiastes 3:1-5, 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. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-5, 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_

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## Quoted in

**Arguments and defeaters:**

- [Bible Contradictions Objection Defeater](/codex/bible-contradictions-objection-defeater/)

**Lexicon:**

- [H7523 - ratsach](/codex/h7523-ratsach/)

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## 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.