Ecclesiastes 3:1–4:16

The Mystery of Time

3There is an occasion for everything,

and a time for every activity under heaven: ^z

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

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

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; ^c

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

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

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

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; ^g

⁸a time to love and a time to hate;

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

⁹What does the worker gain from his struggles? ⁱ¹⁰I have seen the task that God has given people to keep them occupied. ^j11He has made everything appropriate ^kin its time. ^lHe has also put eternity in their hearts, ^mbut man cannot discover the work God has done from beginning to end. ⁿ¹²I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and enjoy the ^ogood life. ¹³It is also the gift of God whenever anyone eats, drinks, and enjoys all his efforts. ^p14I know that all God does will last forever; there is no adding to it or taking from it. ^qGod works so that people will be in awe of Him. ^r15Whatever is, has already been, ^sand whatever will be, already is. God repeats what has passed. ^t

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. ^u17I said to myself, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, ^vsince there is a time for every activity and every work.” ^w18I said to myself, “This happens concerning people, so that God may test them and they may see for themselves that they are like animals.” ^x19For the fate of people and the fate of animals is the same. ^yAs 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. ^z21Who knows if the spirit of people rises upward and the spirit of animals goes downward to the earth? ²²I have seen that there is nothing better than for a person to enjoy his activities ^abecause that is his reward. For who can enable him to see what will happen after he dies? ^bc

4Again, I observed all the acts of oppression being done under the sun. ^dLook at the tears of those who are oppressed; they have no one to comfort them. Power is with those who oppress them; they have no one to comfort them. ²So I admired the dead, ^ewho have already died, more than the living, who are still alive. ³But better than either of them is the one who has not yet existed, ^fwho has not seen the evil activity that is done under the sun.

The Loneliness of Wealth

⁴I saw that all labor and all skillful work is due to a man’s jealousy of his friend. ^gThis too is futile and a pursuit of the wind. ^h

⁵The fool folds his arms ⁱ

and consumes his own flesh. ^j

⁶Better one handful with rest

than two handfuls with effort and a pursuit of the wind. ^k

⁷Again, I saw futility under the sun: ⁸There is a person without a companion, ^lwithout even a son or brother, and though there is no end to all his struggles, his eyes are still not content with riches. ^m“So who am I struggling for,” he asks, “and depriving myself from good?” This too is futile and a miserable task.

⁹Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. ¹⁰For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up. ¹¹Also, if two lie down together, they can keep warm; but how can one person alone keep warm? ⁿ¹²And if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.

¹³Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer pays attention to warnings. ^o14For he came from prison to be king, ^peven though he was born poor in his kingdom. ¹⁵I saw all the living, who move about under the sun, follow ^qa second youth who succeeds him. ¹⁶There is no limit to all the people who were before them, yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind. ^r