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

A Time for All Events in Life

1 For everythingt there is an appointed time,ts
and an appropriate timet for every activityt on earth:t

2 A time to be born,t and a time to die;s
a time to plant, and a time to uproot what was 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 throw away stones, and a time to gather stones;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 A time to search, and a time to give something up as lost;t
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;

7 A time to rip, and a time to sew;
a time to keep 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.

Man is Ignorant of God’s Timing

9 What benefit can a workert gain from his toil?s

10 I have observed the burden
that God has given to peoplet to keep them occupied.

11 God has made everything fit beautifullys in its appropriate time,
butt he has also placed ignorancet in the human heartt
so thatt peoplet cannot discover what God has ordained,t
from the beginning to the endt of their lives.t

Enjoy Life in the Present

12 I have concludedt that there is nothing better for peoplet
thant to be happy and to enjoy
themselvest as long as they live,

13 and also that everyone should eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all his toil,
for these thingst are a gift from God.

God’s Sovereignty

14 I also know that whatever God does will endure forever;
nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken away from it.
God has made it this way, so that men will fear him.

15 Whatever exists now has already been, and whatever will be has already been;
for God will seek to do againt what has occurredt in the past.t

The Problem of Injustice and Oppression

16 I saw something else on earth:t
In the place of justice, there was wickedness,
and in the place of fairness,t there was wickedness.

17 I thought to myself, “God will judge both the righteous and the wicked;
for there is an appropriate time for every activity,
and there is a time of judgmentt for every deed.

18 I also thought to myself, “It ist for the sake of people,t
so God can clearlyt showt them that they are like animals.

19 For the fate of humanst and the fate of animals are the same:
As one dies, so dies the other; both have the same breath.
There is no advantage for humans over animals,
for both are fleeting.

20 Both go to the same place,
both come from the dust,
and to dust both return.

21 Who really knows if the human spiritt ascends upward,
and the animal’s spirit descends into the earth?

22 So I perceived there is nothing better than for peoplet to enjoy their work,t
because that is theirt reward;
for who can show them what the future holds?t