I decided to indulge in wine, while still remaining committed to wisdom. I also tried to indulge in foolishness, just enough to determine whether it was good for human beings under heaven given the short time of their lives.

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

a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot what was planted;

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

a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

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

a time to search, and a time to give up searching; a time to keep, and a time to discard;

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

a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

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.

I also examined on earth: where the halls of justice were supposed to be, there was lawlessness; and where the righteous were supposed to be, there was lawlessness. 17I told myself, "God will judge both the righteous and the wicked, because there is a time set to judge every event and every work."

Do not excel at wickedness, nor be a fool. Why die before your time?

Whoever obeys his commands will not experience harm, and the wise in heart will discern both the appropriate time and response.

Indeed, there is an appropriate time and a response for every circumstance, since human misery weighs heavily upon him.

I observed all this, and carefully considered everything that is undertaken on earth, especially the time when someone dominates another to his detriment.

In addition, no human being knows his time: Like fish captured in a cruel net, or as birds caught in a snare, so also are human beings caught by bad timing that surprises them.

That land is blessed whose king is of noble birth, whose princes feast at the right time, for strength, and not to become drunk.

when that day comes, the palace guards will tremble, strong men will stoop down, women grinders will cease because they are few, and the sight of those who peer through the lattice will grow dim.

At that time they will fear climbing heights and dangers along the road while the almond tree will blossom, and the grasshopper is weighed down. Desire will cease, because the person goes to his eternal home, and mourners will gather in the marketplace.