Ecclesiastes Chapter 3
1 There’s a time for everything under the sky:
2 a time to be born and a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to uproot what’s planted;
3 a time to kill and a time to heal;
a time to build and a time to tear down;
4 a time to laugh and a time to cry;
a time to dance and a time to mourn;
5 a time to gather stones and a time to throw them away;
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing;
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 rip apart and a time to sew together;
a time to speak and a time to be quiet;
8 a time to love and a time not to love;
a time for peace and a time for war.
9 What do workers get out of work? 10 I’ve seen the job God has given people to occupy themselves. 11 He’s set an appropriate time for everything and planted eternity in their hearts, but in a way that they can’t see his work beginning to end.
Eccl 3:1-11
12 I realize there’s nothing better for people than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live. 13 There’s nothing better than eating and drinking and taking pleasure in their work—that’s God’s gift. 14 Everything God does is final. There’s nothing to add or take away, because he has worked in such a way that people should respect him. 15 What will be has already been, because God does again what he’s done before.
16 Besides, I’ve seen that in place of justice and goodness there’s wickedness under the sun. 17 I said to myself,
“God will judge the good and the bad because he’s appointed a time for everything. 18 He tests them so they can see they’re no better than animals.”
19 People and animals have the same fate: one dies like the other; they both have to breathe. People don’t have any advantage. 20 They both came from dust, and they’ll go back to it. 21 Who knows if a person’s spirit goes up and an animal’s spirit goes down into the ground? 22 I’ve seen that there’s nothing better for people than to be happy in what they do; that’s their lot. Who can make them see what’ll happen when they’re gone?
Eccl 3:12-22