Eclesiastes 3

¹ To every [thing there is] aHe speaks of this diversity of time for two causes first to declare that there is nothing in this world perpetual: next to teach us not to be grieved, if we have not all things at once according to our desires, neither enjoy them so long as we would wish.season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

² A time to bee borne, and a time to die: a time to plant, and a time to plucke vp that which is planted.

³ A time to slay, and a time to heale: a time to breake downe, and a time to builde.

⁴ A time to weepe, and a time to laugh: a time to mourne, and a time to dance.

⁵ A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones: a time to embrace, and a time to be farre from embracing.

⁶ A time to seeke, and a time to lose: a time to keepe, and a time to cast away.

⁷ A time to rent, and a time to sowe: a time to keepe silence, and a time to speake.

⁸ A time to loue, and a time to hate: a time of warre, and a time of peace.

⁹ What profite hath hee that worketh of the thing wherein he trauaileth?

¹⁰ I have seen the labour, which God hath given to the sons of menRead (Ecc_1:13).to be exercised in it.

¹¹ He hath made every [thing] beautiful in its time: also he hath set theGod has given man a desire and affection to seek out the things of this world, and to labour in it.world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

¹² I know that there is nothing good in them, but to reioyce, and to doe good in his life.

¹³ And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it [is] theRead (Ecc_2:24) and these places declare that we should do all things with sobriety and in the fear of God, as he gives not his gifts to the intent that they should be abused.gift of God.

¹⁴ I know that, whatever God doeth, it shall be forThat is, man will never be able to prevent God's work, but as he has determined so it will come to pass.ever: nothing can be added to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth [it], that [men] should fear before him.

¹⁵ That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and GodGod only causes what which is past, to return.requireth that which is past.

¹⁶ And moreouer I haue seene vnder the sunne the place of iudgement, where was wickednesse, and the place of iustice where was iniquitie.

¹⁷ I said in my heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for [there is] a timeMeaning, with God, however man neglects his duty.there for every purpose and for every work.

¹⁸ I said in my heart concerning the state of the sons of men, that God mightAnd made them pure in their first creation.tempt them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

¹⁹ For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thingMan is not able by his reason and judgment to put differences between man and beast, as concerning those things to which both are subject: for the eye cannot judge any otherwise of a man being dead than of a beast, which is dead: yet by the word of God and faith we easily know the diversity as in (Ecc_3:21).befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all [is] vanity.

²⁰ All goe to one place, & all was of the dust, and all shall returne to the dust.

²¹ WhoMeaning, that reason cannot comprehend that which faith believes in.knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?

²² Wherefore I perceive that [there is] nothing better, than that a man shouldBy the often repetition of this sentence as in (Ecc_2:24, Ecc_3:12, Ecc_3:22, Ecc_5:17, Ecc_8:15) he declares that man by reason can comprehend nothing better in this life than to use the gifts of God soberly and comfortably: for to know further, is a special gift of God revealed by his Spirit.rejoice in his own works; for that [is] his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?