Ecclesiastes 3 — DBY
3Verse 1To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heavens:Verse 2A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;Verse 3A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to break down, and a time to build up;Verse 4A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance;Verse 5A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;Verse 6A time to seek, and a time to lose; A time to keep, and a time to cast away;Verse 7A time to rend, and a time to sew; A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;Verse 8A time to love, and a time to hate; A time of war, and a time of peace.Verse 9What profit hath he that worketh from that wherein he laboureth?Verse 10I have seen the travail that°God hath given to the sons of men to toil in.Verse 11He hath made everything beautiful in its time; also he hath set the world in their heart, so that man findeth not out from the beginning to the end the work that°God doeth.Verse 12I know that there is nothing good for them but to rejoice and to do well in their life;Verse 13yea also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labour, it is the gift of°God.Verse 14I know that whatever°God doeth, it shall be for ever; there is nothing to be added to it, nor anything to be taken from it; and°God doeth [it], that [men] should fear before him.Verse 15That which is was long ago, and that which is to be hath already been; and°God bringeth back again that which is past.Verse 16And moreover I saw under the sun, that in the place of judgment, wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, wickedness was there.Verse 17I said in my heart,°God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.Verse 18I said in my heart, It is thus with the children of men, that°God may prove them, and that they should see that they themselves are but beasts.Verse 19For what befalleth the children of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other, and they have all one breath; and man hath no pre-eminence above the beast: for all is vanity.Verse 20All go unto one place: all are of the dust, and all return to dust.Verse 21Who knoweth the spirit of the children of men? Doth it go upwards? and the spirit of the beasts, doth it go downwards to the earth?Verse 22And I have seen that there is nothing better than that man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion; for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?