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.

⁹What do workers gain from their toil?^(E) ¹⁰I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race.^(F) ¹¹He 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) ¹²I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. ¹³That each of them may eat and drink,^(J) and find satisfaction^(K) in all their toil—this is the gift of God.^(L) ¹⁴I 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)

¹⁵Whatever is has already been,^(N)
and what will be has been before;^(O)
and God will call the past to account.^[b]

¹⁶And I saw something else under the sun:

In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,
in the place of justice—wickedness was there.

¹⁷I 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)

¹⁸I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals.^(R) ¹⁹Surely 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. ²⁰All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.^(T) ²¹Who knows if the human spirit rises upward^(U) and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”

²²So 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

Isaiah 60

New International Version

The Glory of Zion

60 “Arise,^(A) shine, for your light^(B) has come,
    and the glory^(C) of the Lord rises upon you.
²See, darkness^(D) covers the earth
    and thick darkness^(E) is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
    and his glory appears over you.
³Nations^(F) will come to your light,^(G)
    and kings^(H) to the brightness of your dawn.

⁴“Lift up your eyes and look about you:
    All assemble^(I) and come to you;
your sons come from afar,^(J)
    and your daughters^(K) are carried on the hip.^(L)
⁵Then you will look and be radiant,^(M)
    your heart will throb and swell with joy;^(N)
the wealth^(O) on the seas will be brought to you,
    to you the riches of the nations will come.
⁶Herds of camels^(P) will cover your land,
    young camels of Midian^(Q) and Ephah.^(R)
And all from Sheba^(S) will come,
    bearing gold and incense^(T)
    and proclaiming the praise^(U) of the Lord.
⁷All Kedar’s^(V) flocks will be gathered to you,
    the rams of Nebaioth will serve you;
they will be accepted as offerings^(W) on my altar,^(X)
    and I will adorn my glorious temple.^(Y)

⁸“Who are these^(Z) that fly along like clouds,^(AA)
    like doves to their nests?
⁹Surely the islands^(AB) look to me;
    in the lead are the ships of Tarshish,^[a]^(AC)
bringing^(AD) your children from afar,
    with their silver and gold,^(AE)
to the honor^(AF) of the Lord your God,
    the Holy One^(AG) of Israel,
    for he has endowed you with splendor.^(AH)

¹⁰“Foreigners^(AI) will rebuild your walls,
    and their kings^(AJ) will serve you.
Though in anger I struck you,
    in favor^(AK) I will show you compassion.^(AL)
¹¹Your gates^(AM) will always stand open,
    they will never be shut, day or night,
so that people may bring you the wealth of the nations^(AN)—
    their kings^(AO) led in triumphal procession.
¹²For the nation or kingdom that will not serve^(AP) you will perish;
    it will be utterly ruined.^(AQ)

¹³“The glory of Lebanon^(AR) will come to you,
    the juniper, the fir and the cypress together,^(AS)
to adorn my sanctuary;^(AT)
    and I will glorify the place for my feet.^(AU)
¹⁴The children of your oppressors^(AV) will come bowing before you;
    all who despise you will bow down^(AW) at your feet
and will call you the City^(AX) of the Lord,
    Zion^(AY) of the Holy One^(AZ) of Israel.

¹⁵“Although you have been forsaken^(BA) and hated,
    with no one traveling^(BB) through,
I will make you the everlasting pride^(BC)
    and the joy^(BD) of all generations.
¹⁶You will drink the milk of nations
    and be nursed^(BE) at royal breasts.
Then you will know^(BF) that I, the Lord, am your Savior,^(BG)
    your Redeemer,^(BH) the Mighty One of Jacob.^(BI)
¹⁷Instead of bronze I will bring you gold,^(BJ)
    and silver in place of iron.
Instead of wood I will bring you bronze,
    and iron in place of stones.
I will make peace^(BK) your governor
    and well-being your ruler.^(BL)
¹⁸No longer will violence^(BM) be heard in your land,
    nor ruin or destruction^(BN) within your borders,
but you will call your walls Salvation^(BO)
    and your gates Praise.^(BP)
¹⁹The sun will no more be your light by day,
    nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,^(BQ)
    and your God will be your glory.^(BR)
²⁰Your sun^(BS) will never set again,
    and your moon will wane no more;
the Lord will be your everlasting light,
    and your days of sorrow^(BT) will end.
²¹Then all your people will be righteous^(BU)
    and they will possess^(BV) the land forever.
They are the shoot I have planted,^(BW)
    the work of my hands,^(BX)
    for the display of my splendor.^(BY)
²²The least of you will become a thousand,
    the smallest a mighty nation.^(BZ)
I am the Lord;
    in its time I will do this swiftly.”^(CA)