Ecclesiastes 3:1-17
New Living Translation
A Time for Everything
3 For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
2 A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
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 cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve 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 turn away.
6 A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7 A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
8 A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.
9 What do people really get for all their hard work? 10 I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. 11 Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. 12 So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. 13 And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.
14 And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God’s purpose is that people should fear him. 15 What is happening now has happened before, and what will happen in the future has happened before, because God makes the same things happen over and over again.
The Injustices of Life
16 I also noticed that under the sun there is evil in the courtroom. Yes, even the courts of law are corrupt! 17 I said to myself, “In due season God will judge everyone, both good and bad, for all their deeds.”
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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
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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