New King James Version

New American Standard Bible

Everything Has Its Time

To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:

1

A Time for Everything

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven —

2

A time [a]to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;

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 break down,
And a time to build up;

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 to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance;

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;
A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;

5

A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.

6

A time to gain,
And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
And a time to throw away;

6

A time to search and a time to give up 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 keep silence,
And a time to speak;

7

A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
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.

8

A time to love and a time to hate;
A time for war and a time for peace.

9

The God-Given Task

What profit has the worker from that in which he labors?

9

What profit is there to the worker from that in which he toils?

10

I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied.

10

I have seen the task which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves.

11

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

11

God Set Eternity in the Heart of Man

He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.

12

I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives,

12

I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime;

13

and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor — it is the gift of God.

13

moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor — it is the gift of God.

14

I know that whatever God does,
It shall be forever.
Nothing can be added to it,
And nothing taken from it.
God does it, that men should fear before Him.

14

I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him.

15

That which is has already been,
And what is to be has already been;
And God [b]requires an account of [c]what is past.

15

That which is has been already and that which will be has already been, for God seeks what has passed by.

16

Injustice Seems to Prevail

Moreover I saw under the sun:
In the place of [d]judgment,
Wickedness was there;
And in the place of righteousness,
[e]Iniquity was there.

16

Furthermore, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is wickedness and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.

17

I said in my heart,
“God shall judge the righteous and the wicked,
For there is a time there for every [f]purpose and for every work.”

17

I said to myself, “God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man,” for a time for every matter and for every deed is there.

18

I said in my heart, “Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals.”

18

I said to myself concerning the sons of men, “God has surely tested them in order for them to see that they are but beasts.”

19

For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity.

19

For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As one dies so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity.

20

All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust.

20

All go to the same place. All came from the dust and all return to the dust.

21

Who[g] knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth?

21

Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth?

22

So I perceived that nothing is better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his [h]heritage. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?

22

I have seen that nothing is better than that man should be happy in his activities, for that is his lot. For who will bring him to see what will occur after him?

Parallel

New King James Version

New American Standard Bible

Ecclesiastes 3

Ecclesiastes 3