Ecclesiastes 3

1Everything has a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.

2A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted.

3a time for killing, and a time for healing; a time for breaking down, and a time for building.

4a time to cry, and a time to laugh; a time to wail, and a time to dance.

5a time to scatter stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace, and a time to keep away from embracing.

6A time to seek, 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 be silent, and a time to speak.

8a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

9What gain has the worker from that in which he toils?

10I have seen the task that God has given the sons of men to be humbled in it.

11He made everything beautiful in its time; he also put eternity in their hearts, so that no human can discover the work God has done from beginning to end.

12I know there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in their lives.

13Also, that everyone eats and drinks and finds good in all his labor is God's gift.

14I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it, for God has made it so people fear him.

15What has already been—that is it—and what is to be has already been, and God seeks what has been driven away.

16Again I saw under the sun that there was wickedness in the place of justice, and there was wickedness in the place of righteousness.

17I said in my heart, "God judges the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time there for every purpose and every deed."

18I said in my heart concerning the matter of humankind that God tests them so that they may see that they themselves are beasts.

19For the fate that overtakes humans overtakes beasts too—one fate for them both. As this one dies, so that one dies, and they all share one breath. Humans hold no advantage over beasts, for all is vanity.

20All go to one place. All come from dust, and all return to dust.

21Who knows whether the spirit of the sons of man ascends upward and the spirit of the beast descends downward to the earth?

22I saw that there is nothing better than for a man to rejoice in his works, for that is his portion; for who will bring him to see what will be after him?