Chapter 3

A Time for Everything

1 There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a atime for every 1event under heaven—

2 A time to give birth and a atime to die;

A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.

3 A atime to kill and a time to heal;

A time to tear down and a time to build up.

4 A time to aweep and a time to blaugh;

A time to mourn and a time to cdance.

5 A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.

6 A time to search and a time to give up as lost;

A time to keep and a time to throw away.

7 A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;

A time to abe silent and a time to speak.

8 A time to love and a time to ahate;

A time for war and a time for peace.

9 aWhat profit is there to the worker from that in which he toils?

10 I have seen the atask which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves.

God Set Eternity in the Heart of Man

11 He has amade everything 1appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, 2yet so that man bwill not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.

12 I know that there is anothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime;

13 moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—it is the agift of God.

14 I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should 1afear Him.

15 That awhich is has been already and that which will be has already been, for God seeks what has passed by.

16 Furthermore, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is awickedness and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.

17 I said 1to myself, “aGod will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man,” for a btime for every 2matter and for every deed is there.

18 I said 1to myself concerning the sons of men, “God has surely tested them in order for them to see that they are but abeasts.”

19 aFor the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts 1is the same. As one dies so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is 2vanity.

20 All go to the same place. All came from the adust and all return to the dust.

21 Who knows that the abreath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth?

22 I have seen that anothing is better than that man should be happy in his activities, for that is his lot. For who will bring him to see bwhat will occur after him?