Ecclesiastes 3:1-17

New International Reader's Version

² There is a time to be born.
    And there’s a time to die.
There is a time to plant.
    And there’s a time to pull up what is planted.
³ There is a time to kill.
    And there’s a time to heal.
There is a time to tear down.
    And there’s a time to build up.
⁴ There is a time to weep.
    And there’s a time to laugh.
There is a time to be sad.
    And there’s a time to dance.
⁵ There is a time to scatter stones.
    And there’s a time to gather them.
There is a time to embrace someone.
    And there’s a time not to embrace.
⁶ There is a time to search.
    And there’s a time to stop searching.
There is a time to keep.
    And there’s a time to throw away.
⁷ There is a time to tear.
    And there’s a time to mend.
There is a time to be silent.
    And there’s a time to speak.
⁸ There is a time to love.
    And there’s a time to hate.
There is a time for war.
    And there’s a time for peace.

¹⁵ Everything that now exists has already been.
    And what is coming has existed before.
    God will judge those who treat others badly.

Where people should be treated right,
    they are treated wrong.
Where people should be treated fairly,
    they are treated unfairly.

“God will judge
    godly and sinful people alike.
He has a time for every act.
    He has a time to judge everything that is done.”