Ecclesiastes 3–5

A Time for Everything

3For everything there is a season, and ^la time for every matter under heaven:

²a time to be born, and a time to ^mdie;

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

³a time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to break down, and a time to build up;

⁴a time to ⁿweep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to ^odance;

⁵a time to ^pcast away stones, and a time to ^qgather stones together;

a time to embrace, and a time to ^rrefrain from embracing;

⁶a time to seek, and a time to ^slose;

a time to keep, and a time to ^tcast away;

⁷a time to ^utear, and a time to sew;

a time to ^vkeep silence, and a time to speak;

⁸a time to love, and a time to ^whate;

a time for war, and a time for peace.

The God-Given Task

⁹What ^xgain has the worker from his toil? ¹⁰I have seen ^ythe business that ^zGod has given to the children of man to be busy with. ¹¹He has ^amade everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot ^bfind out what God has done from the beginning to the end. ¹²I perceived that there is ^cnothing better for them than to be joyful and to ^ddo good as long as they live; ¹³also ^ethat everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is ^fGod’s gift to man.

¹⁴I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; ^gnothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. ¹⁵That which is, ^halready has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God ⁱseeks what has been driven away.¹

From Dust to Dust

¹⁶Moreover, ^jI saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even ^kthere was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. ¹⁷I said in my heart, ^lGod will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is ^ma time for every matter and for every work. ¹⁸I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but ⁿbeasts. ^19oFor what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity.^{2 20}All go to one place. All are from ^pthe dust, and to dust all return. ²¹Who knows whether ^qthe spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? ²²So I saw that there is ^rnothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for ^sthat is his lot. Who can bring him to see ^twhat will be after him?

Evil Under the Sun

4^uAgain I ^vsaw all ^wthe oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had ^xno one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power, and there was no one to comfort them. ²And I ^ythought the dead who are already dead more fortunate than the living who are still alive. ³But ^zbetter than both is he who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.

⁴Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This also is ^avanity¹ and a striving after wind.

⁵The fool ^bfolds his hands and ^ceats his own flesh.

^6dBetter is a handful of ^equietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.

^7uAgain, I saw vanity under the sun: ⁸one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his ^feyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, ^g“For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy ^hbusiness.

⁹Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. ¹⁰For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! ¹¹Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, ⁱbut how can one keep warm alone? ¹²And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

¹³Better was ^ja poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how ^kto take advice. ¹⁴For he went ^lfrom prison to the throne, though in his own kingdom he had been born poor. ¹⁵I saw all the living who move about under the sun, along with that² youth who was to stand in the king’s³ place. ¹⁶There was no end of all the people, all of whom he led. Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is ^mvanity and a striving after wind.

Fear God

5^{1 n}Guard your steps when you go to ^othe house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to ^poffer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. ²² Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore ^qlet your words be few. ³For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with ^rmany words.

⁴When ^syou vow a vow to God, ^tdo not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. ^uPay what you vow. ^5vIt is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. ⁶Let not your mouth lead you³ into sin, and do not say before ^wthe messenger⁴ that it was ^xa mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? ⁷For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity;⁵ but^{6 y}God is the one you must fear.

The Vanity of Wealth and Honor

^8zIf you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, ^ado not be amazed at the matter, ^bfor the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. ⁹But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields.⁷

¹⁰He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. ¹¹When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? ¹²Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.

^13cThere is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, ¹⁴and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. ^15dAs he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. ¹⁶This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what ^egain is there to him who ^ftoils for the wind? ¹⁷Moreover, all his days he ^geats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger.

¹⁸Behold, what I have seen to be ^hgood and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment⁸ in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his ⁱlot. ¹⁹Everyone also to whom ^jGod has given ^kwealth and possessions ^land power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is ^mthe gift of God. ²⁰For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.