Parallel Bible results for "ecclesiastes 3"

Ecclesiastes 3

The Complete Jewish Bible CJB

1 For everything there is a season, a right time for every intention under heaven

2 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,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to discard,

7 a time to tear and a time to sew, a time to keep 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.

9 What does the worker gain from his efforts?

10 I have seen the task God has given humanity to keep us occupied.

11 He has made everything suited to its time; also, he has given human beings an awareness of eternity; but in such a way that they can't fully comprehend, from beginning to end, the things God does.

12 I know that there is nothing better for them to do than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live.

13 Still, the fact that everyone can eat and drink and enjoy the good that results from all his work, is a gift of God.

14 I know that whatever God does will last forever; there is nothing to add or subtract from it; and God has done it so that people will fear him.

15 That which was is here already; and that which will be has already been, but God seeks out what people chase after.

16 Another thing I observed under the sun: There, in the same place as justice, was wickedness; there, in the same place as righteousness, was wickedness.

17 I said to myself, "The righteous and the wicked God will judge, because there is a right time for every intention and for every action."

18 Concerning people, I said to myself, "God is testing them, so that they will see that by themselves they are just animals.

19 After all, the same things that happen to people happen to animals, the very same thing - just as the one dies, so does the other. Yes, their breath is the same; so that humans are no better than animals; since nothing matters, anyway.

20 They all go to the same place; they all come from dust, and they all return to dust.

21 Who knows if the spirit of a human being goes upward and the spirit of an animal goes downward into the earth?"

22 So I concluded that there is nothing better for a person to do than take joy in his activities, that that is his allotted portion; for who can enable him to see what will happen after him?

The Bible in Basic English BBE

1 For everything there is a fixed time, and a time for every business under the sun.

2 A time for birth and a time for death; a time for planting and a time for uprooting;

3 A time to put to death and a time to make well; a time for pulling down and a time for building up;

4 A time for weeping and a time for laughing; a time for sorrow and a time for dancing;

5 A time to take stones away and a time to get stones together; a time for kissing and a time to keep from kissing;

6 A time for search and a time for loss; a time to keep and a time to give away;

7 A time for undoing and a time for stitching; a time for keeping quiet and a time for talk;

8 A time for love and a time for hate; a time for war and a time for peace.

9 What profit has the worker in the work which he does?

10 I saw the work which God has put on the sons of man.

11 He has made everything right in its time; but he has made their hearts without knowledge, so that man is unable to see the works of God, from the first to the last.

12 I am certain that there is nothing better for a man than to be glad, and to do good while life is in him.

13 And for every man to take food and drink, and have joy in all his work, is a reward from God.

14 I am certain that whatever God does will be for ever. No addition may be made to it, nothing may be taken from it; and God has done it so that man may be in fear before him.

15 Whatever is has been before, and what is to be is now; because God makes search for the things which are past.

16 And again, I saw under the sun, in the place of the judges, that evil was there; and in the place of righteousness, that evil was there.

17 I said in my heart, God will be judge of the good and of the bad; because a time for every purpose and for every work has been fixed by him.

18 I said in my heart, It is because of the sons of men, so that God may put them to the test and that they may see themselves as beasts.

19 Because the fate of the sons of men and the fate of the beasts is the same. As is the death of one so is the death of the other, and all have one spirit. Man is not higher than the beasts; because all is to no purpose.

20 All go to one place, all are of the dust, and all will be turned to dust again.

21 Who is certain that the spirit of the sons of men goes up to heaven, or that the spirit of the beasts goes down to the earth?

22 So I saw that there is nothing better than for a man to have joy in his work--because that is his reward. Who will make him see what will come after him?