Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

English Standard Version

A Time for Everything

3 For everything there is a season, and ^(A)a time for every matter under heaven:

²a time to be born, and a time to ^(B)die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
³a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
⁴a time to ^(C)weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to ^(D)dance;
⁵a 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;
⁶a time to seek, and a time to ^(H)lose;
a time to keep, and a time to ^(I)cast away;
⁷a time to ^(J)tear, and a time to sew;
a time to ^(K)keep silence, and a time to speak;
⁸a time to love, and a time to ^(L)hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

The God-Given Task

⁹What ^(M)gain has the worker from his toil? ¹⁰I have seen ^(N)the business that ^(O)God has given to the children of man to be busy with. ¹¹He 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.

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Song of Solomon 4:7-15

English Standard Version

⁷^(A)You are altogether beautiful, my love;
    there is no ^(B)flaw in you.
⁸^(C)Come with me from ^(D)Lebanon, my ^(E)bride;
    come with me from ^(F)Lebanon.
Depart^[a] from the peak of Amana,
    from the peak of ^(G)Senir and ^(H)Hermon,
from the dens of lions,
    from the mountains of leopards.

⁹You have captivated my heart, my ^(I)sister, my bride;
    you have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes,
    with one ^(J)jewel of your necklace.
¹⁰How beautiful is your love, my ^(K)sister, my bride!
    How much ^(L)better is your love than wine,
    and ^(M)the fragrance of your oils than any spice!
¹¹Your ^(N)lips drip nectar, my bride;
    ^(O)honey and milk are under your tongue;
    the fragrance of your garments is ^(P)like the fragrance of ^(Q)Lebanon.
¹²A garden locked is my ^(R)sister, my bride,
    a spring locked, ^(S)a fountain ^(T)sealed.
¹³Your shoots are ^(U)an orchard of pomegranates
    with all ^(V)choicest fruits,
    ^(W)henna with ^(X)nard,
¹⁴nard and saffron, ^(Y)calamus and ^(Z)cinnamon,
    with all trees of ^(AA)frankincense,
^(AB)myrrh and ^(AC)aloes,
    with all ^(AD)choice spices—
¹⁵a garden fountain, a well of ^(AE)living water,
    and flowing streams from ^(AF)Lebanon.