Ecclesiastes 3:6
New International Version
a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,

New Living Translation
A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away.

English Standard Version
a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

Berean Standard Bible
a time to search and a time to count as lost, a time to keep and a time to discard,

King James Bible
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

New King James Version
A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away;

New American Standard Bible
A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away.

NASB 1995
A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away.

NASB 1977
A time to search, and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep, and a time to throw away.

Legacy Standard Bible
A time to search and a time to lose; A time to keep and a time to throw away.

Amplified Bible
A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away.

Christian Standard Bible
a time to search and a time to count as lost; a time to keep and a time to throw away;

Holman Christian Standard Bible
a time to search and a time to count as lost; a time to keep and a time to throw away;

American Standard Version
a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

Contemporary English Version
There is a time for finding and losing, keeping and giving,

English Revised Version
a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
a time to start looking and a time to stop looking, a time to keep and a time to throw away,

Good News Translation
He sets the time for finding and the time for losing, the time for saving and the time for throwing away,

International Standard Version
a time to search, and a time to give up searching; a time to keep, and a time to discard;

Majority Standard Bible
a time to search and a time to count as lost, a time to keep and a time to discard,

NET Bible
A time to search, and a time to give something up as lost; a time to keep, and a time to throw away;

New Heart English Bible
a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

Webster's Bible Translation
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

World English Bible
a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
A time to seek, "" And a time to destroy. A time to keep, "" And a time to cast away.

Young's Literal Translation
A time to seek, And a time to destroy. A time to keep, And a time to cast away.

Smith's Literal Translation
A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to watch, and a time to cast away.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
A time to get, and a time to lose. A time to keep, and a time to cast away.

Catholic Public Domain Version
A time to gain, and a time to lose. A time to keep, and a time to cast away.

New American Bible
A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away.

New Revised Standard Version
a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
A time to lose and a time to seek; a time to tie up and a time to untie;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
A time to lose and a time to seek, a time to bind up and a time to loose
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
A time to seek, and a time to lose; A time to keep, and a time to cast away;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
To Everything There is a Season
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 search and a time to count as lost, a time to keep and a time to discard, 7a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,…

Cross References
Matthew 6:19-21
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. / But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. / For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Luke 15:8-9
Or what woman who has ten silver coins and loses one of them does not light a lamp, sweep her house, and search carefully until she finds it? / And when she finds it, she calls together her friends and neighbors to say, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost coin.’

Philippians 3:7-8
But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ. / More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ

Matthew 13:44-46
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and in his joy he went and sold all he had and bought that field. / Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. / When he found one very precious pearl, he went away and sold all he had and bought it.

Proverbs 11:24-25
One gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds what is right, only to become poor. / A generous soul will prosper, and he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

Luke 12:33-34
Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves with purses that will not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. / For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

1 Timothy 6:17-19
Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy. / Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be generous and ready to share, / treasuring up for themselves a firm foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

Matthew 16:25-26
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. / What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

Mark 8:36-37
What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? / Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

Hebrews 10:34
You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, knowing that you yourselves had a better and permanent possession.

Job 1:21
saying: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.”

Proverbs 3:13-14
Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who acquires understanding, / for she is more profitable than silver, and her gain is better than fine gold.

Isaiah 55:6-7
Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. / Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.

Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

1 Samuel 9:3-4
One day the donkeys of Saul’s father Kish wandered off, and Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants and go look for the donkeys.” / So Saul passed through the hill country of Ephraim and then through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find the donkeys. He and the servant went through the region of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then they went through the land of Benjamin, and still they did not find them.


Treasury of Scripture

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

time to get

Genesis 30:30
For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the LORD hath blessed thee since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also?

Genesis 31:18
And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.

Exodus 12:35,36
And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: …

an a time to lose

Matthew 16:25,26
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it…

Matthew 19:29
And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

Mark 8:35-37
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it…

and a time to cast

Ecclesiastes 11:1
Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.

2 Kings 7:15
And they went after them unto Jordan: and, lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king.

Psalm 112:9
He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour.

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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














A time to search
This phrase suggests an active pursuit, a deliberate effort to seek out something of value or importance. The Hebrew root word here is "בקש" (baqash), which means to seek, search, or strive after. In the context of Ecclesiastes, this searching can be seen as a metaphor for the human quest for meaning, purpose, and understanding in life. Historically, this reflects the human condition and the innate desire to explore and discover, whether it be knowledge, relationships, or spiritual truths. Theologically, it reminds believers of the importance of seeking God and His wisdom, as emphasized in other scriptures like Matthew 7:7, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find."

and a time to give up as lost
This phrase acknowledges the reality that not all pursuits will be successful or fruitful. The Hebrew word "אבד" (abad) means to perish, vanish, or be lost. This can be a humbling reminder of human limitations and the transient nature of worldly endeavors. In a spiritual sense, it encourages believers to discern when to let go of pursuits that are not aligned with God's will or that do not bear fruit. It reflects the wisdom in recognizing when to cease striving and to trust in God's sovereignty and timing. This concept is echoed in the New Testament, where Paul speaks of forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead (Philippians 3:13).

a time to keep
The word "שמר" (shamar) in Hebrew means to guard, protect, or preserve. This phrase suggests the importance of holding onto what is valuable, whether it be relationships, truths, or possessions. In a spiritual context, it can refer to keeping God's commandments and holding fast to faith. Historically, this reflects the agrarian culture of ancient Israel, where preserving resources and maintaining what one has was crucial for survival. For Christians, it serves as a reminder to guard their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7) and to treasure the eternal over the temporal.

and a time to discard
The Hebrew word "שלך" (shalakh) means to cast away or throw off. This phrase speaks to the necessity of removing what is unnecessary, harmful, or no longer useful. It can be seen as a call to spiritual and personal decluttering, making room for growth and new opportunities. In a biblical sense, it encourages believers to cast off sin and anything that hinders their walk with God, as seen in Hebrews 12:1, "Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles." This act of discarding is not just physical but also spiritual, emphasizing the need for continual renewal and transformation in the Christian life.

(6) To lose.--Elsewhere this word means to destroy, but in the later Hebrew it comes to mean to lose, like the Latin "perdere."

Verse 6. - A time to get (seek), and a time to lose. The verb abad, in piel, is used in the sense of "to destroy" (Ecclesiastes 7:7), and it is only in late Hebrew that it signifies, as here, "to lose." The reference is doubtless to property, and has no connection with the last clause of the preceding verse, as Delitzsch would opine. There is a proper and lawful pursuit of wealth, and there is a wise and prudent submission to its inevitable loss. The loss here is occasioned by events over which the owner has no control, differing from that in the next clause, which is voluntary. The wise man knows when to exert his energy in improving his fortune, and when to hold his hand and take failure without useless struggle. Loss, too, is sometimes gain, as when Christ's departure in the flesh was the prelude and the occasion of the sending of the Comforter (John 16:7); and there are many things of which we know not the real value till they are beyond our grasp. A time to keep, and a time to cast away. Prudence will make fast what it has won, and will endeavor to preserve it unimpaired. But there are occasions when it is wiser to deprive one's self of some things in order to secure more important ends, as when sailors throw a cargo, etc., overboard in order to save their ship (comp. Jonah 1:5; Acts 27:18, 19, 38). And in higher matters, such as almsgiving, this maxim holds good: "There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth.... The liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that watereth shall be watered also himself" (Proverbs 11:24, 25). Plumptre refers to Christ's so-called paradox," Whosoever would (ο{ς α}ν θέλῃ) save his life shall lose it, and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it" (Matthew 16:25).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
a time
עֵ֤ת (‘êṯ)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 6256: Time, now, when

to search
לְבַקֵּשׁ֙ (lə·ḇaq·qêš)
Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 1245: To search out, to strive after

and a time
וְעֵ֣ת (wə·‘êṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular
Strong's 6256: Time, now, when

to count as lost,
לְאַבֵּ֔ד (lə·’ab·bêḏ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 6: To wander away, lose oneself, to perish

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

to keep
לִשְׁמ֖וֹר (liš·mō·wr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 8104: To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to

and a time
וְעֵ֥ת (wə·‘êṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular
Strong's 6256: Time, now, when

to discard,
לְהַשְׁלִֽיךְ׃ (lə·haš·lîḵ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7993: To throw out, down, away


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OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 3:6 A time to seek and a time (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.)
Ecclesiastes 3:5
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