Ecclesiastes 3

THE MYSTERY OF TIME

3There is an occasion for everything,

and a time for every activity under heaven:^y

²a time to give birth and a time to die;^z

a time to plant and a time to uproot;^F

³a time to kill and a time to heal;

a time to tear down and a time to build;

⁴a time to weep and a time to laugh;^aa

a time to mourn and a time to dance;^ab

⁵a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;^ac

a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing;^ad

⁶a time to search and a time to count as lost;

a time to keep and a time to throw away;

⁷a time to tear and a time to sew;

a time to be silent and a time to speak;^ae

⁸a time to love and a time to hate;

a time for war and a time for peace.^af

⁹What does the worker gain from his struggles?^{ag 10}I have seen the task that God has given the children of Adam to keep them occupied.^{ah 11}He has made everything appropriate^G in its time.^ai He has also put eternity in their hearts,^H but no one can discover the work God has done from beginning to end.^{aj 12}I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and enjoy the^I good life. ¹³It is also the gift of God whenever anyone eats, drinks, and enjoys all his efforts.^{a 14}I know that everything God does will last forever; there is no adding to it or taking from it.^b God works so that people will be in awe of him.^{c 15}Whatever is, has already been,^d and whatever will be, already is. However, God seeks justice for the persecuted.^A

THE MYSTERY OF INJUSTICE AND DEATH

¹⁶I also observed under the sun: there is wickedness at the place of judgment and there is wickedness at the place of righteousness.^{e 17}I said to myself, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked,^f since there is a time for every activity and every work.”^{g 18}I said to myself, “This happens so that God may test the children of Adam and they may see for themselves that they are like animals.”^{h 19}For the fate of the children of Adam and the fate of animals is the same.ⁱ As one dies, so dies the other; they all have the same breath. People have no advantage over animals since everything is futile. ²⁰All are going to the same place; all come from dust, and all return to dust.^{j 21}Who knows if the spirits of the children of Adam go upward and the spirits of animals go downward to the earth? ²²I have seen that there is nothing better than for a person to enjoy his activities^k because that is his reward. For who can enable him to see what will happen after he dies?^Bl