Ecclesiastes 3:17
New International Version
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.”

New Living Translation
I said to myself, “In due season God will judge everyone, both good and bad, for all their deeds.”

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every deed.”

King James Bible
I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

New King James Version
I said in my heart, “God shall judge the righteous and the wicked, For there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”

New American Standard Bible
I said to myself, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked,” for a time for every matter and for every deed is there.

NASB 1995
I said to myself, “God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man,” for a time for every matter and for every deed is there.

NASB 1977
I said to myself, “God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man,” for a time for every matter and for every deed is there.

Legacy Standard Bible
I said in my heart, “God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man,” for a time for every matter and for every work is there.

Amplified Bible
I said to myself, “God will judge both the righteous and the wicked,” for there is a time [appointed] for every matter and for every deed.

Christian Standard Bible
I said to myself, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every work.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I said to myself, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every work.”

American Standard Version
I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

Contemporary English Version
So I told myself that God has set a time and a place for everything. He will judge everyone, both the wicked and the good.

English Revised Version
I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I thought to myself, "God will judge righteous people as well as wicked people, because there is a specific time for every activity and every work that is done."

Good News Translation
I told myself, "God is going to judge the righteous and the evil alike, because every thing, every action, will happen at its own set time."

International Standard Version
I told myself, "God will judge both the righteous and the wicked, because there is a time set to judge every event and every work."

Majority Standard Bible
I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every deed.”

NET Bible
I thought to myself, "God will judge both the righteous and the wicked; for there is an appropriate time for every activity, and there is a time of judgment for every deed.

New Heart English Bible
I said in my heart, "God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work."

Webster's Bible Translation
I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

World English Bible
I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
I said in my heart, “The righteous and the wicked God judges, for a time [is] to every matter and for every work there.”

Young's Literal Translation
I said in my heart, 'The righteous and the wicked doth God judge, for a time is to every matter and for every work there.'

Smith's Literal Translation
I said in my heart, The just one and the unjust one, God will judge: for a time for every inclination and for every work there.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And I said in my heart: God shall judge both the just and the wicked, and then shall be the time of every thing.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And I said in my heart: “God will judge the just and the impious, and then the time for each matter shall be.”

New American Bible
I said in my heart, both the just and the wicked God will judge, since a time is set for every affair and for every work.

New Revised Standard Version
I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for he has appointed a time for every matter, and for every work.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
I said in my heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time for every purpose and for every work.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
I said in my heart:" the righteous and the wicked God judges, because there is a time for every matter and every work"
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
I said in my heart: 'The righteous and the wicked God will judge; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the ungodly: for there is a time there for every action and for every work.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
From Dust to Dust
16Furthermore, I saw under the sun that in the place of judgment there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness. 17I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every deed.” 18I said to myself, “As for the sons of men, God tests them so that they may see for themselves that they are but beasts.”…

Cross References
Romans 2:6-8
God “will repay each one according to his deeds.” / To those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life. / But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow wickedness, there will be wrath and anger.

2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.

Revelation 20:12
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And books were opened, and one of them was the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books.

Matthew 25:31-46
When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. / All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. / He will place the sheep on His right and the goats on His left. ...

Acts 17:31
For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”

Hebrews 9:27
Just as man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment,

James 5:9
Do not complain about one another, brothers, so that you will not be judged. Look, the Judge is standing at the door!

1 Peter 4:5
But they will have to give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

Revelation 22:12
“Behold, I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one according to what he has done.

John 5:28-29
Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice / and come out—those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

Psalm 96:13
before the LORD, for He is coming—He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness.

Psalm 98:9
before the LORD, for He comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with equity.

Daniel 12:2
And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt.

Isaiah 3:13-14
The LORD arises to contend; He stands to judge the people. / The LORD brings this charge against the elders and leaders of His people: “You have devoured the vineyard; the plunder of the poor is in your houses.

Malachi 3:18
So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”


Treasury of Scripture

I said in my heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

said

Ecclesiastes 1:16
I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

Ecclesiastes 2:1
I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.

God

Ecclesiastes 12:14
For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Genesis 18:25
That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

Psalm 98:9
Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.

for

Ecclesiastes 3:1
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Jeremiah 29:10,11
For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place…

Daniel 11:40
And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.

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Activity Appointed Bad Deed Good Heart Judge Judgment Matter Purpose Righteous Thought Time Wicked Work
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Activity Appointed Bad Deed Good Heart Judge Judgment Matter Purpose Righteous Thought Time Wicked Work
Ecclesiastes 3
1. by the necessary change of times, vanity is added to human travail
11. is an excellence in God's works
16. as for man, God shall judge his works hereafter, though here he be like a beast














I said in my heart
This phrase reflects a deep, introspective realization. In Hebrew, the word for "heart" (לֵב, lev) often denotes the center of thought and emotion, not just feelings. It suggests a profound internal dialogue, where the speaker, traditionally understood to be Solomon, contemplates the nature of divine justice. This introspection is a hallmark of wisdom literature, encouraging readers to seek understanding beyond surface-level observations.

God will judge
The Hebrew word for "judge" (שָׁפַט, shaphat) implies not only the act of rendering a verdict but also governing and executing justice. This reflects a fundamental belief in God's sovereignty and moral authority. In the historical context of ancient Israel, judges were seen as divinely appointed leaders who maintained order and righteousness. Thus, this phrase reassures believers of God's ultimate control and fairness in the moral order of the universe.

the righteous and the wicked
This dichotomy between the "righteous" (צַדִּיק, tzaddik) and the "wicked" (רָשָׁע, rasha) is a recurring theme in biblical literature. The righteous are those who live in accordance with God's laws, while the wicked are those who defy them. This distinction underscores the moral clarity that the Bible often presents, affirming that God discerns and differentiates between those who follow His ways and those who do not. Historically, this reflects the covenantal relationship between God and Israel, where obedience brings blessing and disobedience brings judgment.

for there is a time
The concept of "time" (עֵת, et) in Ecclesiastes is pivotal, emphasizing the divine orchestration of events. This echoes the earlier verses in Ecclesiastes 3, which speak of a time for every purpose under heaven. It reassures believers that God's timing is perfect, even when human understanding is limited. Archaeologically, the cyclical nature of time was a common theme in ancient Near Eastern cultures, yet the biblical perspective uniquely affirms God's active role in appointing times and seasons.

for every activity
The word "activity" (חֵפֶץ, chephetz) can also be translated as "purpose" or "delight," suggesting that every action under heaven has significance and is subject to divine scrutiny. This aligns with the biblical worldview that life is purposeful and that human actions are meaningful within God's grand design. It challenges believers to live intentionally, knowing that their deeds are part of a larger divine narrative.

and a judgment for every deed
The term "judgment" (מִשְׁפָּט, mishpat) conveys a sense of legal decision-making, reflecting God's role as the ultimate judge. "Every deed" (מַעֲשֶׂה, ma'aseh) encompasses all human actions, reinforcing the comprehensive nature of divine justice. This serves as both a warning and a comfort: a warning that no action escapes God's notice, and a comfort that justice will ultimately prevail. Scripturally, this aligns with the broader biblical theme of accountability, where each person must give an account of their life before God.

(17) A time there--viz., with God. In this verse a judgment after this life is clearly spoken of, but not yet asserted as a conclusion definitely adopted, but only as a belief of the writer's conflicting with the doubts expressed in the following verses. "1 said in mine heart," with which Ecclesiastes 3:17-18 both begin, conveys the idea, "I thought," and yet again I thought." The writer returns again to speak of the punishment of the wicked in Ecclesiastes 8:15; Ecclesiastes 11:9.

Verse 17. - I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked. In view of the injustice that prevails in earthly tribunals, Koheleth takes comfort in the thought that there is retribution in store for every man. when God shall award sentence according to deserts. God is a righteous Judge strong and patient, and his decisions are infallible. Future judgment is here plainly stated, as it is at the final conclusion (Ecclesiastes 11:14). They who refuse to credit the writer with belief in this great doctrine resort to the theory of interpolation and alteration in order to account for the language in this and analogous passages. There can be no doubt that the present text has hitherto always been regarded as genuine, and that it does clearly assert future retribution, though not so much as a conclusion firmly established, but rather as a belief which may explain anomalies and afford comfort under trying circumstances. For there is a time there for every purpose and for every work. The adverb rendered "there" (שָׁם, sham) is placed emphatically, at the end of the sentence. Thus the Septuagint, "There is a reason for every action, and for every work there (ἐκεῖ)." Many take it to mean" in the other world," and Plumptre cites Eurip., 'Med.,' 1073 -

Ἐνδαιμονοῖτον ἀλλ ἐκεῖ τὰ δ ἐνθάδε
Πατὴρ ἀφείλετ

"All good be with you! but it must be there;
Here it is stolen from you by your sire."
But it is unexampled to find the elliptical "there," when no place has been mentioned in the context, and when we are precluded from interpreting the dark word by a significant gesture, as Medea may have pointed downwards in her histrionic despair. Where the words, "that day," are used in the New Testament (e.g. Luke 10:12; 2 Timothy 1:18, etc.), the context shows plainly to what they refer. Some take the adverb here in the sense of "then." Thus the Vulgate, Justum et impium iudicabit Deus, et tempus omnis rei tunc erit." But really no time has been mentioned, unless we conceive the writer to have been guilty of a clumsy tautology, expressing by "then" the same idea as "a time for every purpose," etc. Ewald would understand it of the past; but this is quite arbitrary, and limits the signification of the sentence unnecessarily. It is best, with many modern commentators, to refer the adverb to God, who has just been spoken of in the preceding clause. A similar use is found in Genesis 49:24. With God, spud Deum, in his counsels, there is a time or judgment and retribution for every act of man, when anomalies which have obtained on earth shall be rectified, injustice shall be punished, virtue rewarded. There is no need, with some commentators, to read up, "he appointed;" the usual reading gives a satisfactory sense.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
I
אֲנִי֙ (’ă·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

said
אָמַ֤רְתִּֽי (’ā·mar·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

in my heart,
בְּלִבִּ֔י (bə·lib·bî)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre

“God
הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים (hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

will judge
יִשְׁפֹּ֖ט (yiš·pōṭ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 8199: To judge, pronounce sentence, to vindicate, punish, to govern, to litigate

the righteous
הַצַּדִּיק֙ (haṣ·ṣad·dîq)
Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6662: Just, righteous

and
וְאֶת־ (wə·’eṯ-)
Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

the wicked,
הָ֣רָשָׁ֔ע (hā·rā·šā‘)
Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7563: Wrong, an, bad person

since
כִּי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

there is a time
עֵ֣ת (‘êṯ)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 6256: Time, now, when

for every
לְכָל־ (lə·ḵāl)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

activity
חֵ֔פֶץ (ḥê·p̄eṣ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2656: Pleasure, desire, a valuable thing, a matter

and every
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

deed.”
הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה (ham·ma·‘ă·śeh)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4639: An action, a transaction, activity, a product, property


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OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 3:17 I said in my heart God will (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.)
Ecclesiastes 3:16
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