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Ecclesiastes 3

Holman Christian Standard Bible, 2009 (HCSB)

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¹ There is an occasion for everything, and 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; [1]

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 throw stones and a time to gather stones; ⓔ a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing; ⓕ

⁶ a time to search and a time to count as lost; a time to keep and a time to throw away;

⁷ a time to tear 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 for war and a time for peace. ⓗ

⁹ What does the worker gain from his struggles? ⓘ

¹⁰ I have seen the task that God has given people to keep them occupied. ⓙ

¹¹ He has made everything appropriate [2] in its time. ⓚ He has also put eternity in their hearts, [3] but man cannot discover the work God has done from beginning to end. ⓛ

¹² I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and enjoy the [4] good life.

¹³ It is also the gift of God whenever anyone eats, drinks, and enjoys all his efforts. ⓜ

¹⁴ I know that all God does will last forever; there is no adding to it or taking from it. ⓝ God works so that people will be in awe of Him. ⓞ

¹⁵ Whatever is, has already been, ⓟ and whatever will be, already is. God repeats what has passed. [5]

¹⁶ I also observed under the sun: there is wickedness at the place of judgment and there is wickedness at the place of righteousness. ⓠ

¹⁷ I said to myself, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, ⓡ since there is a time for every activity and every work.” ⓢ

¹⁸ I said to myself, “This happens concerning people, so that God may test them and they may see for themselves that they are like animals.” ⓣ

¹⁹ For the fate of people and the fate of animals is the same. ⓤ As one dies, so dies the other; they all have the same breath. People have no advantage over animals since everything is futile.

²⁰ All are going to the same place; all come from dust, and all return to dust. ⓥ

²¹ Who knows if the spirit of people rises upward and the spirit of animals goes downward to the earth?

²² I have seen that there is nothing better than for a person to enjoy his activities ⓦ because that is his reward. For who can enable him to see what will happen after he dies? [6] ⓧ

#	HCSB
1	There is an occasion for everything, and 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; [1]
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 throw stones and a time to gather stones; ⓔ a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing; ⓕ
6	a time to search and a time to count as lost; a time to keep and a time to throw away;
7	a time to tear 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 for war and a time for peace. ⓗ
9	What does the worker gain from his struggles? ⓘ
10	I have seen the task that God has given people to keep them occupied. ⓙ
11	He has made everything appropriate [2] in its time. ⓚ He has also put eternity in their hearts, [3] but man cannot discover the work God has done from beginning to end. ⓛ
12	I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and enjoy the [4] good life.
13	It is also the gift of God whenever anyone eats, drinks, and enjoys all his efforts. ⓜ
14	I know that all God does will last forever; there is no adding to it or taking from it. ⓝ God works so that people will be in awe of Him. ⓞ
15	Whatever is, has already been, ⓟ and whatever will be, already is. God repeats what has passed. [5]
16	I also observed under the sun: there is wickedness at the place of judgment and there is wickedness at the place of righteousness. ⓠ
17	I said to myself, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, ⓡ since there is a time for every activity and every work.” ⓢ
18	I said to myself, “This happens concerning people, so that God may test them and they may see for themselves that they are like animals.” ⓣ
19	For the fate of people and the fate of animals is the same. ⓤ As one dies, so dies the other; they all have the same breath. People have no advantage over animals since everything is futile.
20	All are going to the same place; all come from dust, and all return to dust. ⓥ
21	Who knows if the spirit of people rises upward and the spirit of animals goes downward to the earth?
22	I have seen that there is nothing better than for a person to enjoy his activities ⓦ because that is his reward. For who can enable him to see what will happen after he dies? [6] ⓧ

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