1 T o everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven:

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—

2 A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted,

A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.

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

A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear 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,

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,

A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.

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

A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away.

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

A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be 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.

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

9 W hat profit remains for the worker from his toil?

What profit is there to the worker from that in which he toils?

10 I have seen the painful labor and exertion and miserable business which God has given to the sons of men with which to exercise and busy themselves.

I have seen the task which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves. God Set Eternity in the Heart of Man

11 H e has made everything beautiful in its time. He also has planted eternity in men’s hearts and minds, yet so that men cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.

He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.

12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to be glad and to get and do good as long as they live;

I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime;

13 A nd also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.

moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—it is the gift of God.

14 I know that whatever God does, it endures forever; nothing can be added to it nor anything taken from it. And God does it so that men will fear Him.

I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him.

15 T hat which is now already has been, and that which is to be already has been; and God seeks that which has passed by.

That which is has been already and that which will be has already been, for God seeks what has passed by.

16 M oreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice there was wickedness, and that in the place of righteousness wickedness was there also.

Furthermore, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is wickedness and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.

17 I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and purpose and for every work.

I said to myself, “ God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man,” for a time for every matter and for every deed is there.

18 I said in my heart regarding the subject of the sons of men, God is trying (separating and sifting) them, that they may see that by themselves they are but like beasts.

I said to myself concerning the sons of men, “God has surely tested them in order for them to see that they are but beasts.”

19 F or that which befalls the sons of men befalls beasts; even one thing befalls them both. As the one dies, so dies the other. Yes, they all have one breath and spirit, so that a man has no preeminence over a beast; for all is vanity (emptiness, falsity, and futility)!

For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As one dies so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity.

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

All go to the same place. All came from the dust and all return to the dust.

21 W ho knows the spirit of man, whether it goes upward, and the spirit of the beast, whether it goes downward to the earth?

Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth?

22 S o I saw 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 back to see what will happen after he is gone?

I have seen that nothing is better than that man should be happy in his activities, for that is his lot. For who will bring him to see what will occur after him?