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Ecclesiastes 3
International Standard Version
Ecclesiastes 3
International Standard Version
The Purposes in God’s Timing
3 There is a season for everything,
and a time for every event under heaven:[a]
2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to uproot what was planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to tear down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to scatter stones, and a time to gather stones;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to search, and a time to give up searching;[b]
a time to keep, and a time to discard;
7 a time to tear, and a time to mend;
a time to be silent, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
The Purpose of Life
9 What benefit does the worker gain from what he undertakes? 10 I have observed the burdens placed by God on human beings in order to perfect them. 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.
12 I have concluded that the only worthwhile thing for them is to take pleasure in doing good in life; 13 moreover, every person should eat, drink, and enjoy the benefits of everything that he undertakes, since it is a gift from God.
14 I have concluded that everything that God undertakes will last for eternity—nothing can be added to it nor taken away from it—and that God acts this way so that people will fear him. 15 That which was, now is; and that which will be, already is; and God examines what has already taken place.
From Dust to Dust
16 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,[c]
there was lawlessness.
17 I told myself, “God will judge both the righteous and the wicked, because there is a time set to judge[d] every event and every work.”
18 “As for human beings,” I told myself, “God puts them to the test, that they might see themselves as mere animals.” 19 For what happens to people also happens to animals—a single event happens to them: just as someone dies, so does the other. In fact, they all breathe the same way, so that a human being has no superiority over an animal. All of this is pointless. 20 All of them go to one place: all of them originate from dust, and all of them return to dust.
21 Who knows whether[e] the spirit of human beings ascends, and whether[f] the spirit of animals descends to the earth? 22 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?
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 3:1 I.e. from a heavenly perspective
- Ecclesiastes 3:6 The Heb. lacks searching
- Ecclesiastes 3:16 Lit. and the place of judgment
- Ecclesiastes 3:17 The Heb. lacks to judge
- Ecclesiastes 3:21 So LXX. The Heb. lacks whether
- Ecclesiastes 3:21 So LXX. The Heb. lacks whether
Ecclesiastes 3
New International Version
Ecclesiastes 3
New International Version
A Time for Everything
3 There is a time(A) for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,(B)
3 a time to kill(C) and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent(D) and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
9 What do workers gain from their toil?(E) 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race.(F) 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time.(G) He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet[a] no one can fathom(H) what God has done from beginning to end.(I) 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink,(J) and find satisfaction(K) in all their toil—this is the gift of God.(L) 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.(M)
15 Whatever is has already been,(N)
and what will be has been before;(O)
and God will call the past to account.[b]
16 And I saw something else under the sun:
In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,
in the place of justice—wickedness was there.
17 I said to myself,
“God will bring into judgment(P)
both the righteous and the wicked,
for there will be a time for every activity,
a time to judge every deed.”(Q)
18 I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals.(R) 19 Surely the fate of human beings(S) is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath[c]; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. 20 All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.(T) 21 Who knows if the human spirit rises upward(U) and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”
22 So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work,(V) because that is their lot.(W) For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 3:11 Or also placed ignorance in the human heart, so that
- Ecclesiastes 3:15 Or God calls back the past
- Ecclesiastes 3:19 Or spirit
International Standard Version (ISV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.