To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

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A Time for Everything

There is a time(A) for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

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17 I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

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17 I said to myself,

“God will bring into judgment(A)
    both the righteous and the wicked,
for there will be a time for every activity,
    a time to judge every deed.”(B)

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And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?

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and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.[a](A)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 16:3 Some early manuscripts do not have When evening comes … of the times.

Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment.

Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.

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Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm,
    and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure.
For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter,(A)
    though a person may be weighed down by misery.

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14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.

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14 When times are good, be happy;
    but when times are bad, consider this:
God has made the one
    as well as the other.(A)
Therefore, no one can discover
    anything about their future.

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26 And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?

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26 But Elisha said to him, “Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time(A) to take money or to accept clothes—or olive groves and vineyards, or flocks and herds, or male and female slaves?(B)

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I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.

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I tried cheering myself with wine,(A) and embracing folly(B)—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.

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17 Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

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Toil Is Meaningless

17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.(A)

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13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.

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13 I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens.(A) What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind!(B)

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12 And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,

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12 In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled(A) himself greatly before the God of his ancestors.

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23 A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!

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23 A person finds joy in giving an apt reply(A)
    and how good is a timely word!(B)

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