Ecclesiastes 3
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New International VersionHolman Christian Standard Bible
1There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:1There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven:
2a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,2a time to give birth 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 tear 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 scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,5a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing;
6a time to search and a time to give up, 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 throw away;
7a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,7a time to tear and a time to sew; 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 do workers gain from their toil?9What does the worker gain from his struggles?
10I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race.10I have seen the task that God has given people to keep them occupied.
11He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.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.
12I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.12I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and enjoy the good life.
13That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil--this is the gift of God.13It is also the gift of God whenever anyone eats, drinks, and enjoys all his efforts.
14I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.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.
15Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account.15Whatever is, has already been, and whatever will be, already is. God repeats what has passed.
16And I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgment--wickedness was there, in the place of justice--wickedness was there.16I also observed under the sun: there is wickedness at the place of judgment and there is wickedness at the place of righteousness.
17I said to myself, "God will bring into judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time to judge every deed."17I said to myself, "God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every work."
18I also said to myself, "As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals.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."
19Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless.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.
20All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.20All are going to the same place; all come from dust, and all return to dust.
21Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?"21Who knows if the spirit of people rises upward and the spirit of animals goes downward to the earth?
22So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?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?
New International Version (NIV)

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Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.
Ecclesiastes 2
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