Ecclesiastes 3 Parallel Bible Translations

Ecclesiastes 3 ▼
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1 There is a season (a time appointed) for everything and a time for every delight and event or purpose under heaven— For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 A time to be born and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up. a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance. a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 A time to throw away stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing. a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away. a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to keep silent and a time to speak. a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace. a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
9 What profit is there for the worker from that in which he labors? What gain has the worker from his toil? What do workers gain from their toil?
10 I have seen the task which God has given to the sons of men with which to occupy themselves. I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race.
11 He has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. He has also planted eternity [a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God]—yet man cannot find out (comprehend, grasp) what God has done (His overall plan) from the beginning to the end. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. He 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.
12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good as long as they live; I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.
13 and also that every man should eat and drink and see and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God. also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.
14 I know that whatever God does, it endures forever; nothing can be added to it nor can anything be taken from it, for God does it so that men will fear and worship Him [with awe-filled reverence, knowing that He is God]. I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. I 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.
15 That which is has already been, and that which will be has already been, for God seeks what has passed by [so that history repeats itself]. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away. Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account.
16 Moreover, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness. Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. And I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgment—wickedness was there, in the place of justice—wickedness was there.
17 I said to myself, “God will judge both the righteous and the wicked,” for there is a time [appointed] for every matter and for every deed. I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work. I 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.”
18 I said to myself regarding the sons of men, “God is surely testing them in order for them to see that [by themselves, without God] they are [only] animals.” I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts. I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals.
19 For the [earthly] fate of the sons of men and the fate of animals is the same. As one dies, so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no preeminence or advantage for man [in and of himself] over an animal, for all is vanity. For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. Surely 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.
20 All go to the same place. All came from the dust and all return to the dust. All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.
21 Who knows if the spirit of man ascends upward and the spirit of the animal descends downward to the earth? Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”
22 So I have seen that there is nothing better than that a man should be happy in his own works and activities, for that is his portion (share). For who will bring him [back] to see what will happen after he is gone? So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him? So 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?
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