Ecclesiastes 3 - Common English Bible (CEB)

A season for everything

3 There’s a season for everything
and a time for every matter under the heavens:
2 a time for giving birth and a time for dying,
a time for planting and a time for uprooting what was planted,
3 a time for killing and a time for healing,
a time for tearing down and a time for building up,
4 a time for crying and a time for laughing,
a time for mourning and a time for dancing,
5 a time for throwing stones and a time for gathering stones,
a time for embracing and a time for avoiding embraces,
6 a time for searching and a time for losing,
a time for keeping and a time for throwing away,
7 a time for tearing and a time for repairing,
a time for keeping silent and a time for speaking,
8 a time for loving and a time for hating,
a time for war and a time for peace.

Hard work

9 What do workers gain from all their hard work? 10 I have observed the task that God has given human beings. 11 God has made everything fitting in its time, but has also placed eternity in their hearts, without enabling them to discover what God has done from beginning to end.

12 I know that there’s nothing better for them but to enjoy themselves and do what’s good while they live. 13 Moreover, this is the gift of God: that all people should eat, drink, and enjoy the results of their hard work. 14 I know that whatever God does will last forever; it’s impossible to add to it or take away from it. God has done this so that people are reverent before him.[a] 15 Whatever happens has already happened, and whatever will happen has already happened before. And God looks after what is driven away.[b]

Enjoy what you do now

16 I saw something else under the sun: in the place of justice, there was wickedness; and in the place of what was right, there was wickedness again! 17 I thought to myself, God will judge both righteous and wicked people, because there’s a time for every matter and every deed. 18 I also thought, Where human beings are concerned, God tests them to show them that they are but animals 19 because human beings and animals share the same fate. One dies just like the other—both have the same life-breath. Humans are no better off than animals because everything is pointless.

20 All go to the same place:
all are from the dust;
all return to the dust.

21 Who knows if a human being’s life-breath rises upward while an animal’s life-breath descends into the earth? 22 So I perceived that there was nothing better for human beings but to enjoy what they do because that’s what they’re allotted in life. Who, really, is able to see what will happen in the future?

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 3:14 Or to inspire awe before the divine
  2. Ecclesiastes 3:15 Or God seeks out what is pursued, or God seeks what has gone by, or God seeks the pursued; Heb uncertain

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3 To everything -- a season, and a time to every delight under the heavens: 2 A time to bring forth, And a time to die. A time to plant, And a time to eradicate the planted. 3 A time to slay, And a time to heal, A time to break down, And a time to build up. 4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh. A t...
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Ecclesiastes 3 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

3 All things have time, and all things under [the] sun pass by their spaces. (Everything hath a time, and all things pass forth in their places under the sun.) 2 Time of birth, and time of dying; time to plant, and time to draw up that that is planted. (Time to be born, and time to die; time to plan...
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Ecclesiastes 3 - World English Bible (WEB)

3 For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: 2 a time to be born, and a time to die;a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;a time to break down, and a time to build up;4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;...
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Ecclesiastes 3 - The Voice (VOICE)

3 Teacher: For everything that happens in life—there is a season, a right time for everything under heaven: 2 A time to be born, a time to die; a time to plant, a time to collect the harvest;3 A time to kill, a time to heal; a time to tear down, a time to build up;4 A time to cry, a time to laugh...
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Ecclesiastes 3 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

A Time For Everything3 For everything there is a seasonand a time for every activity under heaven:2 a time to give birth and a time to die,a time to plant and a time to uproot what is 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 t...
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Ecclesiastes 3 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Everything Has Its Time3 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 2 a time to be born, and a time to die;a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;a time to break down, and a time to build up;4 a time to weep, and ...
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Everything Has Its Time3 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 2 a time to be born, and a time to die;a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;a time to break down, and a time to build up;4 a time to weep, and ...
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Everything Has Its Time3 For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven:(A)2 a time to be born and a time to die;a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted;(B)3 a time to kill and a time to heal;a time to break down and a time to build up;4 a time to weep and a...
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Ecclesiastes 3 - New Living Translation (NLT)

A Time for Everything3 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 ...
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A Time for Everything3 There is a special time for everything. There is a time for everything that happens under heaven. 2 There is a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pick what is planted. 3 There is a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a ...
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A Time for All Events in Life3 For everything[a] there is an appointed time,[b]and an appropriate time[c] for every activity[d] on earth:[e]2 A time to be born,[f] and a time to die;[g]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 break down, a...
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