Ecclesiastes 3

Wycliffe Bible

3 All things have time, and all things under [the] sun pass by their spaces. (Everything hath a time, and all things pass forth in their places under the sun.)

² Time of birth, and time of dying; time to plant, and time to draw up that that is planted. (Time to be born, and time to die; time to plant, and time to draw up what is planted.)

³ Time to slay, and time to make whole (Time to kill, and time to heal); time to destroy, and time to build.

⁴ Time to weep, and time to laugh; time to bewail, and time to dance.

⁵ Time to scatter stones, and time to gather (them) together; time to embrace, and time to be far from embracings.

⁶ Time to get, and time to lose; time to keep, and time to cast away. (Time to get, and time to set free; time to keep, and time to throw away.)

⁷ Time to cut, and time to sew together; time to be still, and time to speak (time to be silent, and time to speak).

⁸ Time to love, and time of hatred; time of battle, and time of peace. (Time to love, and time to hate; time to fight, and time to make peace.)

⁹ What hath a man more of his travail? (What more hath a person for all of his labour?)

¹⁰ I saw the torment, which God gave to the sons of men, that they be occupied therein. (I saw the torment, which God gave to the sons and daughters of men, and with which they be occupied.)

¹¹ God made all things good in their time, and gave the world to disputing of them, that a man find not (out) the work that God hath wrought from the beginning unto the end. (God made all things good in their time, and let the world dispute over them, but no one shall understand the work that God hath wrought from the beginning unto the end.)

¹² And I knew that nothing was better to a man, but to be glad, and to do good works in his life. (And so I know that there is nothing better for a person, but to be happy, and to do good works in his life.)

¹³ For why each man that eateth and drinketh, and seeth good of his travail; this is the gift of God. (For each person who eateth, and drinketh, and seeth the good that cometh from all of his labour; yea, this is the gift of God.)

¹⁴ I have learned that all the works, that God made, last steadfastly unto without end; we may not add anything to those works, neither take away from those things, which God made, that he be dreaded (which God made, so that he be feared/so that he be revered).

¹⁵ That thing that is made, dwelleth perfectly; those things that shall come, were before; and God restoreth that, that is gone (and God restoreth what is gone).

¹⁶ I saw under [the] sun unfaithfulness in the place of doom; and wickedness in the place of rightfulness. (I saw under the sun unfaithfulness in place of judgement, or of justice; and wickedness in place of righteousness, or of uprightness.)

¹⁷ And I said in mine heart, The Lord shall deem a just man, and an unfaithful man; and the time of each thing shall be then. (And I said in my heart, The Lord shall judge the righteous, and the unfaithful; and then shall be the proper time for each thing.)

¹⁸ I said in mine heart of the sons (and daughters) of men, that God should prove them, and show (them) that they be like beasts.

¹⁹ Therefore one is the perishing of man and of beasts, and even condition is of ever either; as a man dieth, so and those beasts die; all those breathe in like manner, and a man hath nothing more than a beast. All things be subject to vanity, (And so the perishing of people and of beasts is one and the same, and the condition of both of them is equal, or even; for as a person dieth, so do those beasts die; they all breathe in like manner, and a person hath nothing more than a beast. Everything is empty and futile,)

²⁰ and all things go to one place; those be made of earth, and those turn again (al)together into earth. (and all things go to one place; they all be made of dust, or of dirt, and they shall all return to the dust, or to the dirt.)

²¹ Who knoweth, if the spirit of the sons of Adam goeth upward, and if the spirit of beasts goeth downward? (Yet who knoweth, if the spirits of the sons and daughters of Adam go upward to heaven, and if the spirits of the beasts go downward into the ground? I do not know.)

²² And I perceived that nothing is better, than that a man be glad in his work, and that this be his part; for who shall bring (to) him, that he know things that shall come after him? (And I perceived that nothing is better, than that a person be happy in his work, and that this be his portion; for who shall bring him the knowledge, so that he know what shall come after him?)