Ecclesiastes 3 - New International Version (NIV)

A Time for Everything

3 There is a time(A) for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,(B)
3 a time to kill(C) 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,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent(D) 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 workers gain from their toil?(E) 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race.(F) 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time.(G) He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet[a] no one can fathom(H) what God has done from beginning to end.(I) 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink,(J) and find satisfaction(K) in all their toil—this is the gift of God.(L) 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.(M)

15 Whatever is has already been,(N)
and what will be has been before;(O)
and God will call the past to account.[b]

16 And I saw something else under the sun:

In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,
in the place of justice—wickedness was there.

17 I said to myself,

“God will bring into judgment(P)
both the righteous and the wicked,
for there will be a time for every activity,
a time to judge every deed.”(Q)

18 I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals.(R) 19 Surely the fate of human beings(S) is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath[c]; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. 20 All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.(T) 21 Who knows if the human spirit rises upward(U) and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”

22 So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work,(V) because that is their lot.(W) For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 3:11 Or also placed ignorance in the human heart, so that
  2. Ecclesiastes 3:15 Or God calls back the past
  3. Ecclesiastes 3:19 Or spirit

Cross references

  1. Ecclesiastes 3:1 : ver 11, 17; Ecc 8:6
  2. Ecclesiastes 3:2 : Isa 28:24
  3. Ecclesiastes 3:3 : S Dt 5:17
  4. Ecclesiastes 3:7 : S Est 4:14
  5. Ecclesiastes 3:9 : S Ecc 1:3
  6. Ecclesiastes 3:10 : S Ecc 1:13
  7. Ecclesiastes 3:11 : S ver 1
  8. Ecclesiastes 3:11 : S Job 11:7
  9. Ecclesiastes 3:11 : S Job 28:23; Ro 11:33
  10. Ecclesiastes 3:13 : Ecc 2:3
  11. Ecclesiastes 3:13 : Ps 34:12
  12. Ecclesiastes 3:13 : S Dt 12:7, 18; S Ecc 2:24
  13. Ecclesiastes 3:14 : S Job 23:15; Ecc 5:7; 7:18; 8:12-13
  14. Ecclesiastes 3:15 : Ecc 6:10
  15. Ecclesiastes 3:15 : S Ecc 1:9
  16. Ecclesiastes 3:17 : S Job 19:29; Ecc 11:9; 12:14
  17. Ecclesiastes 3:17 : ver 1
  18. Ecclesiastes 3:18 : S Ps 73:22
  19. Ecclesiastes 3:19 : S Ecc 2:14
  20. Ecclesiastes 3:20 : S Ge 2:7; S Job 34:15
  21. Ecclesiastes 3:21 : Ecc 12:7
  22. Ecclesiastes 3:22 : S Ecc 2:24
  23. Ecclesiastes 3:22 : S Job 31:2

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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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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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Ecclesiastes 3 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Everything Has Its Time3 To everything there is a season,A (A)time for every purpose under heaven: 2 A time [a]to be born,And (B)a time to die;A time to plant,And a time to pluck 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 (C)weep,And a...
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A time for everything3 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,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, a...
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A Time for Everything3 There is a time(A) for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: 2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,(B)3 a time to kill(C) and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,4 a time to weep and a time t...
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Ecclesiastes 3 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

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Ecclesiastes 3 - New English Translation (NET)

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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