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Ecclesiastes 3
English Standard Version
Ecclesiastes 3
English Standard Version
A Time for Everything
3 For everything there is a season, and (A)a time for every matter under heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to (B)die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to (C)weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to (D)dance;
5 a time to (E)cast away stones, and a time to (F)gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to (G)refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to (H)lose;
a time to keep, and a time to (I)cast away;
7 a time to (J)tear, and a time to sew;
a time to (K)keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to (L)hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
The God-Given Task
9 What (M)gain has the worker from his toil? 10 I have seen (N)the business that (O)God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11 He has (P)made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot (Q)find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12 I perceived that there is (R)nothing better for them than to be joyful and to (S)do good as long as they live; 13 also (T)that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is (U)God's gift to man.
14 I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; (V)nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. 15 That which is, (W)already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God (X)seeks what has been driven away.[a]
From Dust to Dust
16 Moreover, (Y)I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even (Z)there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. 17 I said in my heart, (AA)God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is (AB)a time for every matter and for every work. 18 I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but (AC)beasts. 19 (AD)For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity.[b] 20 All go to one place. All are from (AE)the dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows whether (AF)the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? 22 So I saw that there is (AG)nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for (AH)that is his lot. Who can bring him to see (AI)what will be after him?
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 3:15 Hebrew what has been pursued
- Ecclesiastes 3:19 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)
Eclesiastés 3
Nueva Versión Internacional
Eclesiastés 3
Nueva Versión Internacional
Hay un tiempo para todo
3 Todo tiene su momento oportuno;
hay tiempo para todo lo que se hace bajo el cielo:
2 tiempo para nacer y tiempo para morir;
tiempo para plantar y tiempo para cosechar;
3 tiempo para matar y tiempo para sanar;
tiempo para destruir y tiempo para construir;
4 tiempo para llorar y tiempo para reír;
tiempo para estar de luto y tiempo para bailar;
5 tiempo para esparcir piedras y tiempo para recogerlas;
tiempo para abrazarse y tiempo para apartarse;
6 tiempo para buscar y tiempo para perder;
tiempo para guardar y tiempo para desechar;
7 tiempo para rasgar y tiempo para coser;
tiempo para callar y tiempo para hablar;
8 tiempo para amar y tiempo para odiar;
tiempo para la guerra y tiempo para la paz.
De nada sirve afanarse
9 ¿Qué provecho saca el trabajador de tanto afanarse? 10 He visto la tarea que Dios ha impuesto al género humano para abrumarlo con ella. 11 Dios hizo todo hermoso en su tiempo, luego puso en la mente humana la noción de eternidad, aun cuando el hombre no alcanza a comprender la obra que Dios realiza de principio a fin. 12 Yo sé que nada hay mejor para el hombre que alegrarse y hacer el bien mientras viva; 13 y sé también que es un don de Dios que el hombre coma o beba y disfrute de todos sus afanes. 14 Sé, además, que todo lo que Dios ha hecho permanece para siempre, que no hay nada que añadirle ni quitarle y que Dios lo hizo así para que se le tema.
15 Lo que ahora existe, ya existía;
y lo que ha de existir, existe ya.
Dios llama el pasado a cuentas.
Contradicciones de la vida
16 He visto algo más bajo el sol:
Maldad donde se dictan las sentencias
y maldad donde se imparte la justicia.
17 Pensé entonces:
«Al justo y al malvado
los juzgará Dios,
pues hay un tiempo para toda obra
y un lugar para toda acción».
18 Pensé también con respecto a los seres humanos: «Dios los está poniendo a prueba, para que ellos mismos se den cuenta de que son como los animales. 19 Los seres humanos terminan igual que los animales; el destino de ambos es el mismo, pues unos y otros mueren por igual, y el aliento de vida[a] es el mismo para todos, así que el hombre no es superior a los animales. Realmente, todo es vanidad 20 y todo va hacia el mismo lugar. Todo surgió del polvo y al polvo todo volverá. 21 ¿Quién sabe si el aliento de vida de los seres humanos se remonta a las alturas y el de los animales desciende[b] a las profundidades de la tierra?».
22 He visto, pues, que nada hay mejor para el hombre que disfrutar de su trabajo, ya que eso le ha tocado. Pues, ¿quién lo traerá para que vea lo que sucederá después de él?
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
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Nueva Versión Internacional (NVI) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.