Ecclesiastes 3
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 3
No One Can Determine the Right Time to Act
1 [a]There is an appointed time for everything,
and a time for every affair under the heavens.
2 A time to give birth, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant.
3 A time to kill, 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 be far from embraces.
6 A time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away.
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to be silent, and a time to speak.
8 A time to love, and a time to hate;
a time of war, and a time of peace.
9 (A)What profit have workers from their toil? 10 I have seen the business that God has given to mortals to be busied about. 11 (B)God has made everything appropriate to its time, but has put the timeless[b] into their hearts so they cannot find out, from beginning to end, the work which God has done. 12 (C)I recognized that there is nothing better than to rejoice and to do well during life. 13 Moreover, that all can eat and drink and enjoy the good of all their toil—this is a gift of God. 14 I recognized that whatever God does will endure forever; there is no adding to it, or taking from it. Thus has God done that he may be revered. 15 [c](D)What now is has already been; what is to be, already is: God retrieves what has gone by.
The Problem of Retribution. 16 (E)And still under the sun in the judgment place I saw wickedness, and wickedness also in the seat of justice. 17 (F)I said in my heart, both the just and the wicked God will judge, since a time is set for every affair and for every work.[d] 18 I said in my heart: As for human beings, it is God’s way of testing them and of showing that they are in themselves like beasts. 19 For the lot of mortals and the lot of beasts is the same lot: The one dies as well as the other. Both have the same life breath. Human beings have no advantage over beasts, but all is vanity. 20 (G)Both go to the same place; both were made from the dust, and to the dust they both return. 21 Who knows[e] if the life breath of mortals goes upward and the life breath of beasts goes earthward? 22 (H)And I saw that there is nothing better for mortals than to rejoice in their work; for this is their lot. Who will let them see what is to come after them?(I)
Footnotes
- 3:1–8 The fourteen pairs of opposites describe various human activities. The poem affirms that God has determined the appropriate moment or “time” for each. Human beings cannot know that moment; further, the wider course of events and purposes fixed by God are beyond them as well.
- 3:11 The timeless: others translate “eternity,” “the world,” or “darkness.” The author credits God with keeping human beings ignorant about God’s “work”—present and future.
- 3:15 The verse is difficult. Literally it reads “and God seeks out what was pursued.” It appears to be a variation of the theme in 1:9, “There is nothing new under the sun.”
- 3:17 A time is set…work: another possible reading would see this verse referring to a judgment in or after death: “a time for every affair and for every work there” (that is, in death or in Sheol).
- 3:21 Who knows: the author presumes a negative answer: “No one knows.” In place of speculation on impossible questions, the author counsels enjoyment of what is possible (cf. v. 22; but see also 2:10–11).
传道书 3
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
神規劃萬事叫人敬畏他
3 萬事都有定期，天下萬務都有定時：
2 生有時，死有時；
栽種有時，拔出所種的也有時；
3 殺戮有時，醫治有時；
拆毀有時，建造有時；
4 哭有時，笑有時；
哀慟有時，踴躍有時；
5 拋擲石頭有時，堆聚石頭有時；
擁抱有時，避免擁抱有時；
6 尋找有時，捨棄有時；
保存有時，拋棄有時；
7 撕裂有時，縫補有時；
靜默有時，講話有時；
8 愛有時，恨有時；
戰爭有時，和平有時。
9 作工的人在自己的勞碌上得到甚麼益處呢？ 10 我看 神給予世人的擔子，是要他們為此煩惱。 11 他使萬事各按其時，成為美好；他又把永恆的意識放在人的心裡；雖然這樣，人還是不能察覺 神自始至終的作為。 12 我曉得人生最好是尋樂享福， 13 人人有吃有喝，在自己的一切勞碌中自得其樂；這就是 神的恩賜。 14 我知道 神所作的一切，都必永存，無可增添，無可減少； 神這樣作，為要使人在他面前存敬畏的心。 15 現在有的，先前就有；將來有的，早已有了；因為 神使已過的事重新出現（“使已過的事重新出現”直譯是“尋找被追趕的”）。
神的審判都有定時
16 我在日光之下又看見：審判的地方有奸惡，維護公義的地方也有奸惡。 17 我自己心裡說：“ 神必審判義人和惡人，因為各樣事務、各樣工作都有定時。” 18 我自己心裡說：“至於世人， 神要試驗他們，使他們看見自己與牲畜無異。 19 因為世人所遭遇的與牲畜所遭遇的，都是一樣：這個怎樣死，那個也怎樣死，兩者的氣息都是一樣，所以人並不勝於牲畜。一切都是虛空。 20 大家都到一個地方去，都出於塵土，也都歸回塵土。 21 有誰知道人的靈是往上升，牲畜的魂（“魂”的原文與“靈”〔3:21〕和“氣息”〔3:19〕相同）是下降而入地呢？” 22 因此我看人最好是在自己所作的事上自得其樂，因為這也是他的分；誰能使他看見他自己死後的事呢？
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
