1 TO every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the 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; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?
10 I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.
14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
15 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.
16 And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.
17 I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.
18 I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.
19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.
20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
21 Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?
22 Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?

1To euery thing there is a season, and a time to euery purpose vnder the heauen.

2A time to be borne, and a time to die: a time to plant, and a time to pluck vp that which is planted.

3A time to kill, and a time to heale: a time to breake downe, and a time to build vp.

4A time to weepe, and a time to laugh: a time to mourne, and a time to dance.

5A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together: a time to imbrace, and a time to refraine from imbracing.

6A time to get, and a time to lose: a time to keepe, and a time to cast away.

7A time to rent, and a time to sow: a time to keepe silence, and a time to speake.

8A time to loue, and a time to hate: a time of warre, and a time of peace.

9What profite hath hee that worketh, in that wherein he laboureth?

10I haue seene the trauaile which God hath giuen to the sonnes of men, to be exercised in it.

11He hath made euery thing beautifull in his time: also hee hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can finde out the worke that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

12I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to reioyce, and to doe good in his life.

13And also that euery man should eate and drinke, and enioy the good of all his labour: it is the gift of God.

14I know that whatsoeuer God doeth, it shalbe for euer: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doth it, that men should feare before him.

15That which hath beene, is now: and that which is to be, hath alreadie beene, and God requireth that which is past.

16 And moreouer, I sawe vnder the Sunne the place of iudgement, that wickednesse was there; and the place of righteousnesse, that iniquitie was there.

17I said in mine heart, God shall iudge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there, for euery purpose and for euery worke.

18I said in my heart concerning the estate of the sonnes of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselues are beasts.

19For that which befalleth the sonnes of men, befalleth beastes, euen one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea they haue all one breath, so that a man hath no preheminence aboue a beast; for all is vanitie.

20All goe vnto one place, all are of the dust, and all turne to dust againe.

21Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth vpward; and the spirit of the beast that goeth downeward to the earth?

22Wherefore I perceiue that there is nothing better, then that a man should reioyce in his owne workes: for that is his portion; for who shall bring him to see what shalbe after him?

I == Eccl 3:17 ; 8:6

II == Heb 9:27

V == Joel 2:16 ; 1st Cor 7:5

VII == Amos 5:13

VIII == Luke 14:26

IX == Eccl 1:3

X == Eccl 1:13

XI == Eccl 8:17 ; Rom 11:33

XII == Eccl 3:22

XIII == Eccl 2:24

XIV == James 1:17

XV == Eccl 1:9

XVI == Eccl 5:8

XVII == Eccl 3:1 ; Rom 2:6-8 ; 2nd Cor 5:10 ; 2nd Thess 1:6-7

XIX == Ps 49:12 , 20 73:22 ; Eccl 2:16

XX == Gen 3:19

XXI == Eccl 12:7

XXII == Eccl 2:10 , 24 ; 3:12 ; 5:18 ; 6:12 ; 8:7 ; 10:14 ; 11:9

1 There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens.

2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant.

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 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 be far from embraces.

6 A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away.

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to be silent, and a time to speak.

8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

9 What advantage has the worker from his toil?

10 I have considered the task which God has appointed for men to be busied about.

11 He has made everything appropriate to its time, and has put the timeless into their hearts, without men's ever discovering, from beginning to end, the work which God has done.

12 I recognized that there is nothing better than to be glad and to do well during life.

13 For every man, moreover, to eat and drink and enjoy the fruit of all his labor is a gift of God.

14 I recognized that whatever God does will endure forever; there is no adding to it, or taking from it. Thus has God done that he may be revered.

15 What now is has already been; what is to be, already is; and God restores what would otherwise be displaced.

16 And still under the sun in the judgment place I saw wickedness, and in the seat of justice, iniquity.

17 And I said to myself, both the just and the wicked God will judge, since there is a time for every affair and on every work a judgment.

18 I said to myself: As for the children of men, it is God's way of testing them and of showing that they are in themselves like beasts.

19 For the lot of man and of beast is one lot; the one dies as well as the other. Both have the same life-breath, and man has no advantage over the beast; but all is vanity.

20 Both go to the same place; both were made from the dust, and to the dust they both return.

21 Who knows if the life-breath of the children of men goes upward and the life-breath of beasts goes earthward?

22 And I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to rejoice in his work; for this is his lot. Who will let him see what is to come after him?

v 1-8. In this popular portion stating that there is a time for every activity in life, both positive and negative, he opens and closes with things which are beyond control.

v 9-15. Solomon begins this section with a statement that one doesn’t actually profit from his labors. He continues with the perfection of God’s plans, and that God permits us to enjoy what we have labored for. Then closes with an admonishment to fear God who doesn’t change, v 15; 1:9 then 1:5-7.

v 16-22. He observed that there was injustice in the courts, but God would judge righteously. Man’s injustice places him in the same category as animals, they all die, and you cannot observe where the spirit of man will go at that time. Since man is mortal, he might as well enjoy the things God has given him in  this life, then leave the things of the future to God.