[[Ecclesiastes 2|<< Ecclesiastes 2]] | [[Ecclesiastes|Ecclesiastes]] | [[Ecclesiastes 4|Ecclesiastes 4 >>]] ### Ecclesiastes 3 1 TO every _thing_ _there_ _is_ a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: ^1 2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up _that_ _which_ _is_ planted; ^2 3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; ^3 4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; ^4 5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; ^5 6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; ^6 7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; ^7 8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. ^8 9 What profit has he that works in that wherein he labors? ^9 10 I have seen the travail, which God has given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. ^10 11 He has made every _thing_ beautiful in his time: also he has set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God makes from the beginning to the end. ^11 12 I know that _there_ _is_ no good in them, but for _a_ _man_ to rejoice, and to do good in his life. ^12 13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labor, it _is_ the gift of God. ^13 14 I know that, whatsoever God does, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God does _it_, that _men_ should fear before him. ^14 15 That which has been is now; and that which is to be has already been; and God requires that which is past. ^15 16 ¶ And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, _that_ wickedness _was_ there; and the place of righteousness, _that_ iniquity _was_ there. ^16 17 I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for _there_ _is_ a time there for every purpose and for every work. ^17 18 I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts. ^18 19 For that which befalls the sons of men befalls beasts; even one thing befalls them: as the one dies, so dies the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man has no preeminence above a beast: for all _is_ vanity. ^19 20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. ^20 21 Who knows the spirit of man that goes upward, and the spirit of the beast that goes downward to the earth? ^21 22 Wherefore I perceive that _there_ _is_ nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that _is_ his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him? ^22