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

There is a special time for everything. There is a time for everything that happens 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,

There is a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pick what is planted.

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

There is 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,

There is a time to cry, and a time to laugh; a time to have sorrow, 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,

There is a time to throw stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to kiss, and a time to turn from kissing.

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

There is a time to try to find, and a time to lose; 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,

There is a time to tear apart, and a time to sew together; a time to be quiet, and a time to speak.

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

There is a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. The God-Given Work

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

What does the worker get for his work?

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 work which God has given the sons of men to do.

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 beautiful in its time. He has put thoughts of the forever in man’s mind, yet man cannot understand the work God has done from the beginning 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 men than to be happy and to do good as long as they live.

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.

And I know that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his work. 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 last forever. There is nothing to add to it, and nothing to take from it. God works so that men will honor Him with fear.

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, already has been. And that which will be, has already been. For God allows the same things to happen again. Sin Is Everywhere

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.

Also I have seen under the sun that in the place of what is right and fair there is sin. And in the place of what is right and good there is wrong-doing.

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 man who is right and good, and the sinful man.” For there is a time for everything to be done and a time for every work.

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 about the sons of men, “God is testing them to show them that they are like animals.”

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 same thing is to happen to both the sons of men and animals. As one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and to be a man is no better than to be an animal. Because all is for nothing.

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 spirit of man goes up and the spirit of the animal goes down 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?

So I have seen that nothing is better than that man should be happy in his work, for that is all he can do. Who can bring him to see what will happen after him?