Ecclesiastes 3

1All things have their season, and in their times all things pass under heaven.

1To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heavens:

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 pluck up that which is planted;

3A time to kill, and a time to heal. A time to destroy, and a time to build.

3A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to break 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 weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather. A time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.

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

6A time to get, and a time to lose. A time to keep, and a time to cast away.

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

7A time to rend, and a time to sew. A time to keep silence, and a time to speak.

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

8A time of love, and a time of hatred. A time of war, and a time of peace.

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

9What hath man more of his labour?

9What profit hath he that worketh from that wherein he laboureth?

10I have seen the trouble, which God hath given the sons of men to be exercised in it.

10I have seen the travail thatGod hath given to the sons of men to toil in.

11He hath made all things good in their time, and hath delivered the world to their consideration, so that man cannot find out the work which God hath made from the beginning to the end.

11He hath made everything beautiful in its time; also he hath set the world in their heart, so that man findeth not out from the beginning to the end the work thatGod doeth.

12And I have known that there was no better thing than to rejoice, and to do well in this life.

12I know that there is nothing good for them but to rejoice and to do well in their life;

13For every man that eateth and drinketh, and seeth good of his labour, this is the gift of God.

13yea also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labour, it is the gift ofGod.

14I have learned that all the works which God hath made, continue for ever: we cannot add any thing, nor take away from those things which God hath made that he may be feared.

14I know that whateverGod doeth, it shall be for ever; there is nothing to be added to it, nor anything to be taken from it; andGod doeth [it], that [men] should fear before him.

15That which hath been made, the same continueth: the things that shall be, have already been: and God restoreth that which is past.

15That which is was long ago, and that which is to be hath already been; andGod bringeth back again that which is past.

16I saw under the sun in the place of judgment wickedness, and in the place of justice iniquity.

16And moreover I saw under the sun, that in the place of judgment, wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, wickedness was there.

17And I said in my heart: God shall judge both the just and the wicked, and then shall be the time of every thing.

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.

18I said in my heart concerning the sons of men, that God would prove them, and shew them to be like beasts.

18I said in my heart, It is thus with the children of men, thatGod may prove them, and that they should see that they themselves are but beasts.

19Therefore the death of man, and of beasts is one, and the condition of them both is equal: as man dieth, so they also die: all things breathe alike, and man hath nothing more than beast: all things are subject to vanity.

19For what befalleth the children of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other, and they have all one breath; and man hath no pre-eminence above the beast: for all is vanity.

20And all things go to one place: of earth they were made, and into earth they return together.

20All go unto one place: all are of the dust, and all return to dust.

21Who knoweth if the spirit of the children of Adam ascend upward, and if the spirit of the beasts descend downward?

21Who knoweth the spirit of the children of men? Doth it go upwards? and the spirit of the beasts, doth it go downwards to the earth?

22And I have found that nothing is better than for a man to rejoice in his work, and that this is his portion. For who shall bring him to know the things that shall be after him?

22And I have seen that there is nothing better than that man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion; for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?