Ecclesiastes 3 — GNB
3Verse 1For every thing there is a fixed period, and an appointed time to every thing under heaven:—Verse 2A time to be born, and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted.Verse 3A time to kill, and a time to heal. A time to breaking 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 stones asunder, 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 who laboreth from that with which he wearieth himself?Verse 10I have seen the business which God hath given to the sons of men to exercise themselves therewith.Verse 11God maketh every thing good in its time; but he hath put the world into the heart of man, so that he understandeth not the work which God doeth, from the beginning to the end.Verse 12I know that there is nothing better for a man than that he should rejoice and enjoy good his life long.Verse 13But when a man eateth and drinketh, and enjoyeth good through all his labor, this is the gift of God.Verse 14I know that whatever God doeth, that shall be for ever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it; and God doeth it that men may fear before him.Verse 15That which is, was long ago; and that which is to be, hath already been; and God recalleth that which is past.Verse 16Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice there was iniquity; and in the place of righteousness, iniquity.Verse 17Then said I in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked.” For there shall be a time for every matter and for every work.Verse 18I said in my heart concerning the sons of men, that God will prove them, in order that they may see that they are like the beasts.Verse 19For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts: one lot befalleth both. As the one dieth, so dieth the other. Yea, there is one spirit in them, and a man hath no pre-eminence above a beast; for all is vanity.Verse 20All go to one place; all are from the dust, and all turn to dust again.Verse 21Who knoweth the spirit of man, whether it goeth upward, and the spirit of a beast, whether it goeth downward to the earth?Verse 22And so I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his labors; for that is his portion. For who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?