Ecclesiastes 3

There's a Right Time for Everything

1 There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth:

2 A right time for birth and another for death, A right time to plant and another to reap,3 A right time to kill and another to heal, A right time to destroy and another to construct,4 A right time to cry and another to laugh, A right time to lament and another to cheer,5 A right time to make love and another to abstain, A right time to embrace and another to part,6 A right time to search and another to count your losses, A right time to hold on and another to let go,7 A right time to rip out and another to mend, A right time to shut up and another to speak up,8 A right time to love and another to hate, A right time to wage war and another to make peace.

9 But in the end, does it really make a difference what anyone does?10 I've had a good look at what God has given us to do-busywork, mostly.11 True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in its time-but he's left us in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to, whether he's coming or going.12 I've decided that there's nothing better to do than go ahead and have a good time and get the most we can out of life.13 That's it-eat, drink, and make the most of your job. It's God's gift.

14 I've also concluded that whatever God does, that's the way it's going to be, always. No addition, no subtraction. God's done it and that's it. That's so we'll quit asking questions and simply worship in holy fear.

15 Whatever was, is. Whatever will be, is. That's how it always is with God.

God's Testing Us

16 I took another good look at what's going on: The very place of judgment-corrupt!17 The place of righteousness-corrupt! I said to myself, "God will judge righteous and wicked." There's a right time for every thing, every deed-and there's no getting around it.18 I said to myself regarding the human race, "God's testing the lot of us, showing us up as nothing but animals."

19 Humans and animals come to the same end-humans die, animals die. We all breathe the same air. So there's really no advantage in being human. None. Everything's smoke.20 We all end up in the same place-we all came from dust, we all end up as dust.21 Nobody knows for sure that the human spirit rises to heaven or that the animal spirit sinks into the earth.22 So I made up my mind that there's nothing better for us men and women than to have a good time in whatever we do-that's our lot. Who knows if there's anything else to life?

Ecclesiastes 4

Slow Suicide

1 Next I turned my attention to all the outrageous violence that takes place on this planet-the tears of the victims, no one to comfort them; the iron grip of oppressors, no one to rescue the victims from them.2 So I congratulated the dead who are already dead instead of the living who are still alive.3 But luckier than the dead or the living is the person who has never even been, who has never seen the bad business that takes place on this earth.

4 Then I observed all the work and ambition motivated by envy. What a waste! Smoke. And spitting into the wind.

5 The fool sits back and takes it easy, His sloth is slow suicide.

6 One handful of peaceful repose Is better than two fistfuls of worried work-More spitting into the wind.

Why Am I Working Like a Dog?

7 I turned my head and saw yet another wisp of smoke on its way to nothingness:8 a solitary person, completely alone-no children, no family, no friends-yet working obsessively late into the night, compulsively greedy for more and more, never bothering to ask, "Why am I working like a dog, never having any fun? And who cares?" More smoke. A bad business.

9 It's better to have a partner than go it alone. Share the work, share the wealth.10 And if one falls down, the other helps, But if there's no one to help, tough!

11 Two in a bed warm each other. Alone, you shiver all night.

12 By yourself you're unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst. Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn't easily snapped.

13 A poor youngster with some wisdom is better off than an old but foolish king who doesn't know which end is up.14 I saw a youth just like this start with nothing and go from rags to riches,15 and I saw everyone rally to the rule of this young successor to the king.16 Even so, the excitement died quickly, the throngs of people soon lost interest. Can't you see it's only smoke? And spitting into the wind?

Ecclesiastes 5

God's in Charge, Not You

1 Watch your step when you enter God's house. Enter to learn. That's far better than mindlessly offering a sacrifice, Doing more harm than good.

2 Don't shoot off your mouth, or speak before you think. Don't be too quick to tell God what you think he wants to hear. God's in charge, not you-the less you speak, the better.

3 Over-work makes for restless sleep. Over-talk shows you up as a fool.

4 When you tell God you'll do something, do it-now. God takes no pleasure in foolish gabble. Vow it, then do it.5 Far better not to vow in the first place than to vow and not pay up.

6 Don't let your mouth make a total sinner of you. When called to account, you won't get by with "Sorry, I didn't mean it." Why risk provoking God to angry retaliation?

7 But against all illusion and fantasy and empty talk There's always this rock foundation: Fear God!

A Salary of Smoke

8 Don't be too upset when you see the poor kicked around, and justice and right violated all over the place. Exploitation filters down from one petty official to another. There's no end to it, and nothing can be done about it.9 But the good earth doesn't cheat anyone-even a bad king is honestly served by a field.

10 The one who loves money is never satisfied with money, Nor the one who loves wealth with big profits. More smoke.

11 The more loot you get, the more looters show up. And what fun is that-to be robbed in broad daylight?

12 Hard and honest work earns a good night's sleep, Whether supper is beans or steak. But a rich man's belly gives him insomnia.

13 Here's a piece of bad luck I've seen happen: A man hoards far more wealth than is good for him14 And then loses it all in a bad business deal. He fathered a child but hasn't a cent left to give him.15 He arrived naked from the womb of his mother; He'll leave in the same condition-with nothing.16 This is bad luck, for sure-naked he came, naked he went. So what was the point of working for a salary of smoke?17 All for a miserable life spent in the dark?

Make the Most of What God Gives

18 After looking at the way things are on this earth, here's what I've decided is the best way to live: Take care of yourself, have a good time, and make the most of whatever job you have for as long as God gives you life. And that's about it. That's the human lot.19 Yes, we should make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what's given and delighting in the work. It's God's gift!20 God deals out joy in the present, the now. It's useless to brood over how long we might live.