Ecclesiastes 3:1-17
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Mystery of Time
3 There is an occasion for everything,
and a time for every activity under heaven:(A)
2 a time to give birth and a time to die;(B)
a time to plant and a time to uproot;[a]
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;(C)
a time to mourn and a time to dance;(D)
5 a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;(E)
a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing;(F)
6 a time to search and a time to count as lost;
a time to keep and a time to throw away;
7 a time to tear and a time to sew;
a time to be silent and a time to speak;(G)
8 a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace.(H)
9 What does the worker gain from his struggles?(I) 10 I have seen the task that God has given people to keep them occupied.(J) 11 He has made everything appropriate[b] in its time.(K) He has also put eternity in their hearts,[c] but man cannot discover the work God has done from beginning to end.(L) 12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and enjoy the[d] good life. 13 It is also the gift of God whenever anyone eats, drinks, and enjoys all his efforts.(M) 14 I know that all God does will last forever; there is no adding to it or taking from it.(N) God works so that people will be in awe of Him.(O) 15 Whatever is, has already been,(P) and whatever will be, already is. God repeats what has passed.[e]
The Mystery of Injustice and Death
16 I also observed under the sun: there is wickedness at the place of judgment and there is wickedness at the place of righteousness.(Q) 17 I said to myself, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked,(R) since there is a time for every activity and every work.”(S)
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Ecclesiastes 3:2 Lit uproot what is planted
- Ecclesiastes 3:11 Or beautiful
- Ecclesiastes 3:11 Or has put a sense of past and future into their minds, or has placed ignorance in their hearts
- Ecclesiastes 3:12 Lit his
- Ecclesiastes 3:15 Or God calls the past to account, or God seeks what is past, or God seeks the persecuted; lit God seeks [the] pursued
Ecclesiastes 3:1-17
International Standard Version
The Purposes in God’s Timing
3 There is a season for everything,
and a time for every event under heaven:[a]
2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to uproot what was planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to tear down, and a time to build up;
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 stones;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to search, and a time to give up searching;[b]
a time to keep, and a time to discard;
7 a time to tear, and a time to mend;
a time to be silent, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
The Purpose of Life
9 What benefit does the worker gain from what he undertakes? 10 I have observed the burdens placed by God on human beings in order to perfect them. 11 He made everything appropriate in its time. He also placed eternity within them—yet, no person can fully comprehend what God is doing from beginning to end.
12 I have concluded that the only worthwhile thing for them is to take pleasure in doing good in life; 13 moreover, every person should eat, drink, and enjoy the benefits of everything that he undertakes, since it is a gift from God.
14 I have concluded that everything that God undertakes will last for eternity—nothing can be added to it nor taken away from it—and that God acts this way so that people will fear him. 15 That which was, now is; and that which will be, already is; and God examines what has already taken place.
From Dust to Dust
16 I also examined on earth:
where the halls of justice were supposed to be,
there was lawlessness;
and where the righteous were supposed to be,[c]
there was lawlessness.
17 I told myself, “God will judge both the righteous and the wicked, because there is a time set to judge[d] every event and every work.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Ecclesiastes 3:1 I.e. from a heavenly perspective
- Ecclesiastes 3:6 The Heb. lacks searching
- Ecclesiastes 3:16 Lit. and the place of judgment
- Ecclesiastes 3:17 The Heb. lacks to judge
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