Ecclesiastes 3

¹ There is a season for everything, and a time for every event under heaven:

¹ To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

¹ There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a ^(A)time for every ^(a)event under heaven—

¹ There is an occasion for everything,and a time for every activity under heaven:^(A)

¹ There is a season (a time appointed) for everything and a time for every delight and event or purpose under heaven—

³ a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to tear down, and a time to build up;

³ A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

³ A ^(C)time to kill and a time to heal;A time to tear down and a time to build up.

³ a time to kill and a time to heal;a time to tear down and a time to build;

³ A time to kill and a time to heal;A time to tear down and a time to build up.

⁵ a time to scatter stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

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 A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.

⁵ a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;^(E)a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing;^(F)

⁵ A time to throw away stones and a time to gather stones;A time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing.

⁷ a time to tear, and a time to mend; a time to be silent, and a time to speak;

⁷ A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

⁷ A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;A time to ^(G)be silent and a time to speak.

⁷ a time to tear and a time to sew;a time to be silent and a time to speak;^(G)

⁷ A time to ^(a)tear apart and a time to sew together;A time to keep silent and a time to speak.^(B)

⁹ What benefit does the worker gain from what he undertakes?

⁹ What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?

^{9 (I)}What profit is there to the worker from that in which he toils?

⁹ What does the worker gain from his struggles?^(I)

⁹ What profit is there for the worker from that in which he labors?

¹¹ He made everything appropriate in its time. He also placed eternity within them yet, no person can fully comprehend what God is doing from beginning to end.

¹¹ He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

¹¹ He has ^(K)made everything ^(b)appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, ^(c)yet so that man ^(L)will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.

¹¹ He has made everything appropriate^(b) in its time.^(K) He has also put eternity in their hearts,^(c) but man cannot discover the work God has done from beginning to end.^(L)

¹¹ He has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. He has also planted eternity [a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God]—yet man cannot find out (comprehend, grasp) what God has done (His overall plan) from the beginning to the end.

¹³ moreover, every person should eat, drink, and enjoy the benefits of everything that he undertakes, since it is a gift from God.

¹³ And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.

¹³ moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—it is the ^(N)gift of God.

¹³ It is also the gift of God whenever anyone eats, drinks, and enjoys all his efforts.^(M)

¹³ and also that every man should eat and drink and see and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.

¹⁵ That which was, now is; and that which will be, already is; and God examines what has already taken place.

¹⁵ That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.

¹⁵ That ^(P)which is has been already and that which will be has already been, for God seeks what has passed by.

¹⁵ Whatever is, has already been,^(P) and whatever will be, already is. God repeats what has passed.^(e)

¹⁵ That which is has already been, and that which will be has already been, for God seeks what has passed by [so that history repeats itself].

¹⁷ "As for human beings," I told myself, "God puts them to the test, that they might see themselves as mere animals."

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 I said ^(e)to myself, “^(R)God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man,” for a ^(S)time for every ^(f)matter and for every deed is there.

¹⁷ I said to myself, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked,^(R) since there is a time for every activity and every work.”^(S)

¹⁷ I said to myself, “God will judge both the righteous and the wicked,” for there is a time [appointed] for every matter and for every deed.

¹⁹ All of them go to one place: all of them originate from dust, and all of them return to dust.

¹⁹ For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.

^{19 (U)}For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts ^(h)is 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 ⁽ⁱ⁾vanity.

¹⁹ For the fate of people and the fate of animals is the same.^(U) As one dies, so dies the other; they all have the same breath. People have no advantage over animals since everything is futile.

¹⁹ For the [earthly] fate of the sons of men and the fate of animals is the same. As one dies, so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no preeminence or advantage for man [in and of himself] over an animal, for all is vanity.

²¹ I concluded that it is worthwhile for people to find joy in their accomplishments, because that is their inheritance, since who can see what will exist after them?

²¹ Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?

²¹ Who knows that the ^(W)breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth?

²¹ Who knows if the spirit of people rises upward and the spirit of animals goes downward to the earth?

²¹ Who knows if the spirit of man ascends upward and the spirit of the animal descends downward to the earth?