Ecclesiastes 3

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. 11. He hath made everything beautiful in its time: also he hath set eternity in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end. 12. I know that there is nothing better for them, than to rejoice, and to do good so long as they live. 13. And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor, is the gift of God. 14. I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it; and God hath done it, that men should fear before him. 15. That which is hath been long ago; and that which is to be hath long ago been: and God seeketh again that which is passed away. 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. 17. I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work. 18. I said in my heart, It is because of the sons of men, that God may prove them, and that they may see that they themselves are but as 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; and man hath no preeminence above the beasts: for all is vanity. 20. All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. 21. Who knoweth the spirit of man, whether it goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast, whether it goeth downward to the earth? 22. Wherefore I saw that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him back to see what shall be after him? (Ecclesiastes 3:1-22, 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 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. 11. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their hearts, yet so that man can’t find out the work that God has done from the beginning even to the end. 12. I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and to do good as long as they live. 13. Also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor, is the gift of God. 14. I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; and God has done it, that men should fear before him. 15. That which is has been long ago, and that which is to be has been long ago: and God seeks again that which is passed away. 16. 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. 17. I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.” 18. I said in my heart, “As for the sons of men, God tests them, so that they may see that they themselves are like animals. 19. For that which happens to the sons of men happens to animals. Even one thing happens to them. As the one dies, so the other dies. Yes, they have all one breath; and man has no advantage over the animals: for all is vanity. 20. All go to one place. All are from the dust, and all turn to dust again. 21. Who knows the spirit of man, whether it goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, whether it goes downward to the earth?” 22. Therefore I saw that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion: for who can bring him to see what will be after him? (Ecclesiastes 3:1-22, WEB)

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. 11. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. 12. I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life. 13. And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God. 14. I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him. 15. That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past. ^{that which is past: Heb. that which is driven away} 16. And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there. 17. I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work. 18. I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts. ^{that God: or, that they might clear God, and see, etc} 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 a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. 20. All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. 21. Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? ^{of man: Heb. of the sons of man goeth upward: Heb. is ascending, etc} 22. Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him? (Ecclesiastes 3:1-22, KJV)

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. 11. 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 have known that there is no good for them except to rejoice and to do good during their life, 13. yea, even every man who eateth and hath drunk and seen good by all his labour, it [is] a gift of God. 14. 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. 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 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 doth God judge, for a time [is] to every matter and for every work there.' 18. 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 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. 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 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. 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? (Ecclesiastes 3:1-22, YLT)