Ecclesiastes 3

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