Ecclesiastes 3
Everything in life has its appointed time, and there is a season for every activity, from birth to death, and from joy to sorrow. Despite the ups and downs of life, God has made everything good in its time, but humanity's understanding is limited, and we cannot fully comprehend God's work. The best approach to life is to find joy and contentment in one's labor and to appreciate the simple things, as these are gifts from God. Ultimately, the fate of humans and animals is the same, as both return to the earth, and the spirit's destination after death is unknown.
1All things have their time, and all things under heaven continue during their interval2A time to be born, and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to pull up what was planted3A time to kill, and a time to heal. A time to tear down, and a time to build up4A time to weep, and a time to laugh. A time to mourn, and a time to dance5A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather. A time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces6A time to gain, and a time to lose. A time to keep, and a time to cast away7A time to rend, and a time to sew. A time to be silent, and a time to speak8A time of love, and a time of hatred. A time of war, and a time of peace9What more does a man have from his labor10I have seen the affliction that God has given to the sons of men, in order that they may be occupied by it11He has made all things good in their time, and he has handed over the world to their disputes, so that man may not discover the work which God made from the beginning, even until the end12And I realize that there is nothing better than to rejoice, and to do well in this life13For this is a gift from God: when each man eats and drinks, and sees the good results of his labor14I have learned that all the works which God has made continue on, in perpetuity. We are not able to add anything, nor to take anything away, from those things which God has made in order that he may be feared15What has been made, the same continues. What is in the future, has already existed. And God restores what has passed away16I saw under the sun: instead of judgment, impiety, and instead of justice, iniquity17And I said in my heart: "God will judge the just and the impious, and then the time for each matter shall be.18I said in my heart, about the sons of men, that God would test them, and reveal them to be like wild animals19For this reason, the passing away of man and of beasts is one, and the condition of both is equal. For as a man dies, so also do they die. All things breathe similarly, and man has nothing more than beast; for all these are subject to vanity20And all things continue on to one place; for from the earth they were made, and unto the earth they shall return together21Who knows if the spirit of the sons of Adam ascend upward, and if the spirit of the beasts descend downward22And I have discovered nothing to be better than for a man to rejoice in his work: for this is his portion. And who shall add to him, so that he may know the things that will occur after him
Share this chapter