Ecclesiastes 3:1–4:16

Everything Has Its Time

3 To everything there is a season,

A atime for every purpose under heaven:

2 A time 1to be born,

And ba time to die;

A time to plant,

And a time to pluck what is planted;

3 A time to kill,

And a time to heal;

A time to break down,

And a time to build up;

4 A time to cweep,

And a time to laugh;

A time to mourn,

And a time to dance;

5 A time to cast away stones,

And a time to gather stones;

dA time to embrace,

And a time to refrain from embracing;

6 A time to gain,

And a time to lose;

A time to keep,

And a time to throw away;

7 A time to tear,

And a time to sew;

eA time to keep silence,

And a time to fspeak;

8 A time to love,

And a time to ghate;

A time of war,

And a time of peace.

The God-Given Task

9 hWhat profit has the worker from that in which he labors? 10 iI have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that jno one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

12 I know that nothing is kbetter for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, 13 and also that levery man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.

14 I know that whatever God does,

It shall be forever.

mNothing can be added to it,

And nothing taken from it.

God does it, that men should fear before Him.

15 nThat which is has already been,

And what is to be has already been;

And God 2requires an account of 3what is past.

Injustice Seems to Prevail

16 Moreover oI saw under the sun:

In the place of 4judgment,

Wickedness was there;

And in the place of righteousness,

5Iniquity was there.

17 I said in my heart,

p“God shall judge the righteous and the wicked,

For there is a time there for every 6purpose and for every work.”

18 I said in my heart, “Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals.” 19 qFor what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity. 20 All go to one place: rall are from the dust, and all return to dust. 21 sWho 7knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth? 22 tSo I perceived that nothing is better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for uthat is his 8heritage. vFor who can bring him to see what will happen after him?

4 Then I returned and considered all the aoppression that is done under the sun:

And look! The tears of the oppressed,

But they have no comforter—

1On the side of their oppressors there is power,

But they have no comforter.

2 bTherefore I praised the dead who were already dead,

More than the living who are still alive.

3 cYet, better than both is he who has never existed,

Who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

The Vanity of Selfish Toil

4 Again, I saw that for all toil and every skillful work a man is envied by his neighbor. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.

5 dThe fool folds his hands

And consumes his own flesh.

6 eBetter a handful with quietness

Than both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind.

7 Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun:

8 There is one alone, without 2companion:

He has neither son nor brother.

Yet there is no end to all his labors,

Nor is his feye satisfied with riches.

But ghe never asks,

“For whom do I toil and deprive myself of hgood?”

This also is vanity and a 3grave misfortune.

The Value of a Friend

9 Two are better than one,

Because they have a good reward for their labor.

10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.

But woe to him who is alone when he falls,

For he has no one to help him up.

11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm;

But how can one be warm alone?

12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.

And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Popularity Passes Away

13 Better a poor and wise youth

Than an old and foolish king who will be admonished no more.

14 For he comes out of prison to be king,

Although 4he was born poor in his kingdom.

15 I saw all the living who walk under the sun;

They were with the second youth who stands in his place.

16 There was no end of all the people 5over whom he was made king;

Yet those who come afterward will not rejoice in him.

Surely this also is vanity and grasping for the wind.