Ecclesiastes 3:4-14
New American Standard Bible
Chapter 3
4A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance. 5A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing. 6A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away. 7A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; 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.
9What benefit is there for the worker from that in which he labors?
10I have seen the task which God has given the sons of mankind with which to occupy themselves.
12I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime;
13moreover, that every person who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—this is the gift of God.
14I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it. And God has so worked, that people will fear Him.
King James Version
8A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
9What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?
Christian Standard Bible
Chapter 3
4a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance; 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 count as lost; a time to keep and a time to throw away; 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.
9What does the worker gain from his struggles?
10I have seen the task that God has given the children of Adam to keep them occupied.
11He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but no one can discover the work God has done from beginning to end.
12I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and enjoy the good life.
13It is also the gift of God whenever anyone eats, drinks, and enjoys all his efforts.
14I know that everything 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.
New Living Translation
Chapter 3
4A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. 5A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. 6A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. 7A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. 8A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.
9What do people really get for all their hard work?
10I have seen the burden God has placed on us all.
11Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.
12So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can.
13And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.
English Standard Version
Chapter 3
4a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. 9What gain has the worker from his toil? 10I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11He 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. 12I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; 13also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil — this is God 's gift to man.New International Version
Chapter 3
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, 6a time to search and a time to give up, 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, 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?
10I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race.
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.
12I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.
13That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.
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.
New King James Version
Chapter 3
4A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; 5A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; 6A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; 7A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; 8A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.
9What profit has the worker from that in which he labors?
10I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied.
11He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.
