| International Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1There is a season for everything, and a time for every event under heaven: | 1For everything there is an appointed time, and an appropriate time for every activity on earth: |
| 2a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot what was 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 tear down, and a time to build up; | 3A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break 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 scatter stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; | 5A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; |
| 6a time to search, and a time to give up searching; a time to keep, and a time to discard; | 6A time to search, and a time to give something up as lost; 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; | 7A time to rip, and a time to sew; a time to keep 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 benefit does the worker gain from what he undertakes? | 9What benefit can a worker gain from his toil? |
| 10I have observed the burdens placed by God on human beings in order to perfect them. | 10I have observed the burden that God has given to people to keep them occupied. |
| 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. | 11God has made everything fit beautifully in its appropriate time, but he has also placed ignorance in the human heart so that people cannot discover what God has ordained, from the beginning to the end of their lives. |
| 12I have concluded that the only worthwhile thing for them is to take pleasure in doing good in life; | 12I have concluded that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to enjoy themselves as long as they live, |
| 13moreover, every person should eat, drink, and enjoy the benefits of everything that he undertakes, since it is a gift from God. | 13and also that everyone should eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all his toil, for these things are a gift from God. |
| 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. | 14I also know that whatever God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken away from it. God has made it this way, so that men will fear him. |
| 15That which was, now is; and that which will be, already is; and God examines what has already taken place. | 15Whatever exists now has already been, and whatever will be has already been; for God will seek to do again what has occurred in the past. |
| 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. | 16I saw something else on earth: In the place of justice, there was wickedness, and in the place of fairness, there was wickedness. |
| 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." | 17I 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. |
| 18"As for human beings," I told myself, "God puts them to the test, that they might see themselves as mere animals." | 18I also thought to myself, "It is for the sake of people, so God can clearly show them that they are like animals. |
| 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. | 19For the fate of humans and the fate of animals are the same: As one dies, so dies the other; both have the same breath. There is no advantage for humans over animals, for both are fleeting. |
| 20All of them go to one place: all of them originate from dust, and all of them return to dust. | 20Both go to the same place, both come from the dust, and to dust both return. |
| 21Who knows whether the spirit of human beings ascends, and whether the spirit of animals descends to the earth? | 21Who really knows if the human spirit ascends upward, and the animal's spirit descends into the earth? |
| 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? | 22So I perceived there is nothing better than for people to enjoy their work, because that is their reward; for who can show them what the future holds? |
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