Everything Has Its Time

To everything there is a season,
A (A)time for every purpose under heaven:

A time [a]to be born,
And (B)a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;
A time to kill,
And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
And a time to build up;
A time to (C)weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones;
(D)A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain,
And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
And a time to throw away;
A time to tear,
And a time to sew;
(E)A time to keep silence,
And a time to (F)speak;
A time to love,
And a time to (G)hate;
A time of war,
And a time of peace.

The God-Given Task

(H)What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? 10 (I)I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that (J)no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

12 I know that nothing is (K)better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, 13 and also that (L)every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.

14 I know that whatever God does,
It shall be forever.
(M)Nothing can be added to it,
And nothing taken from it.
God does it, that men should fear before Him.
15 (N)That which is has already been,
And what is to be has already been;
And God [b]requires an account of [c]what is past.

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Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 3:2 Lit. to bear
  2. Ecclesiastes 3:15 Lit. seeks
  3. Ecclesiastes 3:15 what is pursued

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