| Holman Christian Standard Bible | Berean Study Bible |
| 1There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven: | 1To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: |
| 2a time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot; | 2a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, |
| 3a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to tear down and a time to build; | 3a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build, |
| 4a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance; | 4a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, |
| 5a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing; | 5a time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, |
| 6a time to search and a time to count as lost; a time to keep and a time to throw away; | 6a time to search and a time to count as lost, a time to keep and a time to discard, |
| 7a time to tear and a time to sew; a time to be silent and a time to speak; | 7a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, |
| 8a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace. | 8a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. |
| 9What does the worker gain from his struggles? | 9What does the worker gain from his toil? |
| 10I have seen the task that God has given people to keep them occupied. | 10I have seen the burden that God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them. |
| 11He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but man cannot discover the work God has done from beginning to end. | 11He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom the work that God has done from beginning to end. |
| 12I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and enjoy the good life. | 12I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and do good while they live, |
| 13It is also the gift of God whenever anyone eats, drinks, and enjoys all his efforts. | 13and also that every man should eat and drink and find satisfaction in all his labor—this is the gift of God. |
| 14I 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. | 14I know that everything God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God does it so that they should fear Him. |
| 15Whatever is, has already been, and whatever will be, already is. God repeats what has passed. | 15What exists has already been, and what will be has already been, for God will call to account what has passed. |
| 16I also observed under the sun: there is wickedness at the place of judgment and there is wickedness at the place of righteousness. | 16Furthermore, I saw under the sun that in the place of judgment there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness. |
| 17I said to myself, "God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every work." | 17I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every deed.” |
| 18I said to myself, "This happens concerning people, so that God may test them and they may see for themselves that they are like animals." | 18I said to myself, “As for the sons of men, God tests them so that they may see for themselves that they are but beasts.” |
| 19For 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. | 19For the fates of both men and beasts are the same: As one dies, so dies the other—they all have the same breath. Man has no advantage over the animals, since everything is futile. |
| 20All are going to the same place; all come from dust, and all return to dust. | 20All go to one place; all come from dust, and all return to dust. |
| 21Who knows if the spirit of people rises upward and the spirit of animals goes downward to the earth? | 21Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and the spirit of the animal descends into the earth? |
| 22I 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? | 22I have seen that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will come after him? |
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