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Ecclesiastes 3

Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

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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 the children of Adam to keep them occupied. ⓐ

¹¹ He has made everything appropriate [2] in its time. ⓑ He has also put eternity in their hearts, [3] but no one can 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 everything 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. However, God seeks justice for the persecuted. [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 so that God may test the children of Adam and they may see for themselves that they are like animals.” ⓚ

¹⁹ For the fate of the children of Adam 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 spirits of the children of Adam go upward and the spirits of animals go 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] ⓐ

#	CSB
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 the children of Adam to keep them occupied. ⓐ
11	He has made everything appropriate [2] in its time. ⓑ He has also put eternity in their hearts, [3] but no one can 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 everything 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. However, God seeks justice for the persecuted. [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 so that God may test the children of Adam and they may see for themselves that they are like animals.” ⓚ
19	For the fate of the children of Adam 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 spirits of the children of Adam go upward and the spirits of animals go 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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Ecclesiastes 3

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