| English Standard Version | International Standard Version |
| 1For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: | 1There is a season for everything, and a time for every event under heaven: |
| 2a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; | 2a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot what was planted; |
| 3a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; | 3a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to tear down, and a time to build up; |
| 4a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; | 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; | 5a time to scatter stones, and a time to gather stones; 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; | 6a time to search, and a time to give up searching; a time to keep, and a time to discard; |
| 7a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; | 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. | 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? | 9What benefit does the worker gain from what he undertakes? |
| 10I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. | 10I have observed the burdens placed by God on human beings in order to perfect them. |
| 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. | 11He made everything appropriate in its time. He also placed eternity within them—yet, no person can fully comprehend what God is doing from beginning to end. |
| 12I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; | 12I have concluded that the only worthwhile thing for them is to take pleasure in doing good in life; |
| 13also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man. | 13moreover, every person should eat, drink, and enjoy the benefits of everything that he undertakes, since it is a gift from God. |
| 14I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. | 14I have concluded that everything that God undertakes will last for eternity—nothing can be added to it nor taken away from it—and that God acts this way so that people will fear him. |
| 15That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away. | 15That which was, now is; and that which will be, already is; and God examines what has already taken place. |
| 16Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. | 16I also examined on earth: where the halls of justice were supposed to be, there was lawlessness; and where the righteous were supposed to be, there was lawlessness. |
| 17I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work. | 17I told myself, "God will judge both the righteous and the wicked, because there is a time set to judge every event and every work." |
| 18I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts. | 18"As for human beings," I told myself, "God puts them to the test, that they might see themselves as mere animals." |
| 19For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. | 19For what happens to people also happens to animals—a single event happens to them: just as someone dies, so does the other. In fact, they all breathe the same way, so that a human being has no superiority over an animal. All of this is pointless. |
| 20All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. | 20All of them go to one place: all of them originate from dust, and all of them return to dust. |
| 21Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? | 21Who knows whether the spirit of human beings ascends, and whether the spirit of animals descends to the earth? |
| 22So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him? | 22I concluded that it is worthwhile for people to find joy in their accomplishments, because that is their inheritance, since who can see what will exist after them? |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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