Ecclesiastes 3:1-17 — Legacy Standard Bible

A Time for Everything

3There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a ^atime for every ¹matter under heaven—

²A time to give birth and a ^atime to die;A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.³A ^atime to kill and a time to heal;A time to tear down and a time to build up.⁴A time to ^aweep and a time to ^blaugh;A time to mourn and a time to ^cdance.⁵A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.⁶A time to search and a time to lose;A time to keep and a time to throw away.⁷A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;A time to ^abe silent and a time to speak.⁸A time to love and a time to ^ahate;A time for war and a time for peace.

⁹^aWhat advantage is there to the worker from that in which he labors? ¹⁰I have seen the ^aendeavor which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves.

God Set Eternity in the Heart of Man

¹¹He has ^amade everything ¹beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, ²yet so that man ^bwill not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.

¹²I know that ¹there is ^anothing better for them than to be glad and to do good in one’s lifetime; ¹³moreover, that every man who eats and drinks and sees good in all his labor—it is the ^agift of God. ¹⁴I know that everything God does will be forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it—God has so worked that men should ¹^,^afear Him. ¹⁵That ^awhich is has been already and that which will be has already been, yet God seeks what is pursued.

¹⁶Furthermore, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is ^awickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness. ¹⁷I said in my heart, “^aGod will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man,” for a ^btime for every ¹matter and for every work is there.