Ecclesiastes 3

1For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:

1There is an appointed time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:

2a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

2a time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to harvest what was planted;

3a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

3a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to tear down and a time to build up;

4a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

4a time to cry and a time to laugh; a time to grieve and a time to dance;

5a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

5a time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones; a time to hug and a time to stop hugging;

6a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

6a time to search and a time to give up searching; a time to keep and a time to throw away;

7a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

7a time to tear apart and a time to sew together; a time to be quiet and a time to speak;

8a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

8a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace.

9What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboreth?

9What do workers actually gain from all their hard work?

10I have seen the travail which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.

10I have seen the heavy burden that God has laid on human beings to keep them busy.

11He 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.

11He has made everything beautiful in its own time. He has also planted a sense of eternity in the human heart, yet no one can fully understand all that God has done from the beginning to the end.

12I know that there is nothing better for them, than to rejoice, and to do good so long as they live.

12I realized that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they are alive.

13And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor, is the gift of God.

13And it is a gift from God when people eat, drink, and find satisfaction in all their hard work.

14I 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.

14I know that everything God does will last forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing can be taken away from it. God does this so that people will stand in awe of him.

15That 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.

15Whatever is happening now has happened before, and whatever will happen in the future has already happened. God brings back what has passed away.

16And 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.

16I also saw something else under the sun: in the place where there should be justice, there was wickedness; and in the place where there should be righteousness, there was evil.

17I 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.

17I said to myself, "God will judge both the godly and the wicked," because there is a right time for every activity and every deed.

18I said in my heart, It isbecause of the sons of men, that God may prove them, and that they may see that they themselves are but as beasts.

18I also thought about how God tests human beings to show them that they are just like animals.

19For 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.

19After all, the same fate awaits humans and animals alike; the same thing happens to both. As one dies, so dies the other. They all breathe the same air; humans have no real advantage over animals. Everything is like a passing breath.

20All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

20Everyone goes to the same place. Everyone comes from the dust, and everyone returns to the dust.

21Who knoweth the spirit of man, whether it goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast, whether it goeth downward to the earth?

21Who really knows if the human spirit goes upward and the spirit of an animal goes downward into the earth?

22Wherefore 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?

22So I saw that there is nothing better for people than to enjoy their work, because that is their reward. For who can bring them back to see what will happen after they are gone?