A Time for Everything

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

    a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,(B)
    a time to kill(C) and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
    a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
    a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
    a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
    a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent(D) and a time to speak,
    a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

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)

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Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 3:11 Or also placed ignorance in the human heart, so that
  2. Ecclesiastes 3:15 Or God calls back the past

Remember Your Creator While Young

Light is sweet,
    and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.(A)
However many years anyone may live,
    let them enjoy them all.
But let them remember(B) the days of darkness,
    for there will be many.
    Everything to come is meaningless.

You who are young, be happy while you are young,
    and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth.
Follow the ways of your heart
    and whatever your eyes see,
but know that for all these things
    God will bring you into judgment.(C)
10 So then, banish anxiety(D) from your heart
    and cast off the troubles of your body,
    for youth and vigor are meaningless.(E)

12 Remember(F) your Creator
    in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble(G) come
    and the years approach when you will say,
    “I find no pleasure in them”—
before the sun and the light
    and the moon and the stars grow dark,
    and the clouds return after the rain;
when the keepers of the house tremble,
    and the strong men stoop,
when the grinders cease because they are few,
    and those looking through the windows grow dim;
when the doors to the street are closed
    and the sound of grinding fades;
when people rise up at the sound of birds,
    but all their songs grow faint;(H)
when people are afraid of heights
    and of dangers in the streets;
when the almond tree blossoms
    and the grasshopper drags itself along
    and desire no longer is stirred.
Then people go to their eternal home(I)
    and mourners(J) go about the streets.

Remember him—before the silver cord is severed,
    and the golden bowl is broken;
before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
    and the wheel broken at the well,
and the dust returns(K) to the ground it came from,
    and the spirit returns to God(L) who gave it.(M)

“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.[a](N)
    “Everything is meaningless!(O)

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 12:8 Or the leader of the assembly; also in verses 9 and 10

13 Now all has been heard;
    here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God(A) and keep his commandments,(B)
    for this is the duty of all mankind.(C)
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,(D)
    including every hidden thing,(E)
    whether it is good or evil.

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Solomon’s Death(A)

29 As for the other events of Solomon’s reign, from beginning to end, are they not written in the records of Nathan(B) the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah(C) the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam(D) son of Nebat? 30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. 31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David(E) his father. And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king.

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