KJ3 Literal Translation
Ecclesiastes 3
By the necessary change of times, vanity is added to human travail. There is an excellence in Jehovah's works. Jehovah shall judge man.
1To all there is an appointed time, even a time for every purpose under the heavens:
2a time to bear, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pull up what is planted;
3a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to tear down, and a time to build up;
4a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to lament, and a time to dance;
5a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6a time to seek, and a time to let perish; a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
7a time to tear, and a time to sew together; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
9What advantage is to him who works in that which he did as a laborer.
10I have seen the task which God has given to the sons of men, to be humbled by it.
11He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has set eternity in their heart, without which man cannot find out the work that God makes from the beginning even to the end.
12I know that there is no good in them, except for a man to rejoice to do good in his life.
13And also every man that eats and drinks, and sees good in his labor, it is the gift of God.
14I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever; nothing is to be added to it, and nothing is to diminish from it. For God does it so that they fear before Him.
15That which has been, it already is; and that which is to be, it already has been. And God seeks that which is pursued.
16And again I saw under the sun the place of judgment: wickedness is there; and the place of righteousness, wickedness is there.
17I said in my heart, God shall judge the righteous one and the wicked one; for there is a time there for every good purpose and for every work there.
18I said in my heart concerning the matter of the sons of men, that God may purge them and see that they are beasts, they by themselves.
19For the event of the sons of men, and the event of beasts, even one event is to them. As this one dies, so that one dies; yea, one breath is to all; so that there is to the man no advantage over the beast; for all is vanity.
20All go to one place; all are of the dust, and all return to the dust.
21Who knows the spirit of the sons of man, whether it goes upward; and the spirit of the beast, whether it goes downward to the earth?
22And I have seen that nothing is better than that the man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion; for who can bring him to see what shall be after him?
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