Ecclesiastes 3 Parallel Bible Translations

Ecclesiastes 3 ▼
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CPDV
Catholic Public Domain Version
ESV
English Standard Version
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1 All things have their time, and all things under heaven continue during their interval. 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 pull up what was 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 scatter stones, and a time to gather. A time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces. 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 gain, and a time to lose. A time to keep, and a time to cast 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 rend, and a time to sew. A time to be 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 of love, and a time of hatred. A time of war, and a time of 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 more does a man have from his labor? What gain has the worker from his toil? What do workers gain from their toil?
10 I have seen the affliction that God has given to the sons of men, in order that they may be occupied by it. 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 all things good in their time, and he has handed over the world to their disputes, so that man may not discover the work which God made from the beginning, even until 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 And I realize that there is nothing better than to rejoice, and to do well in this life. 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 For this is a gift from God: when each man eats and drinks, and sees the good results of his labor. 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 have learned that all the works which God has made continue on, in perpetuity. We are not able to add anything, nor to take anything away, from those things which God has made in order that he may be feared. 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 What has been made, the same continues. What is in the future, has already existed. And God restores what has passed away. 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 I saw under the sun: instead of judgment, impiety, and instead of justice, iniquity. 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 And I said in my heart: “God will judge the just and the impious, and then the time for each matter shall be.” 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 in my heart, about the sons of men, that God would test them, and reveal them to be like wild 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 this reason, the passing away of man and of beasts is one, and the condition of both is equal. For as a man dies, so also do they die. All things breathe similarly, and man has nothing more than beast; for all these are subject to 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 And all things continue on to one place; for from the earth they were made, and unto the earth they shall return together. 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 the sons of Adam ascend upward, and if the spirit of the beasts descend downward? 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 And I have discovered nothing to be better than for a man to rejoice in his work: for this is his portion. And who shall add to him, so that he may know the things that will occur after him? 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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