| NET Bible | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1For everything there is an appointed time, and an appropriate time for every activity on earth: | 1There is an appointed time for everything. And there is 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 uproot what was planted; | 2A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is 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 throw away stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; | 5A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing. |
| 6A time to search, and a time to give something up as lost; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; | 6A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away. |
| 7A time to rip, and a time to sew; a time to keep silent, and a time to speak. | 7A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; 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 benefit can a worker gain from his toil? | 9What profit is there to the worker from that in which he toils? |
| 10I have observed the burden that God has given to people to keep them occupied. | 10I have seen the task which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves. |
| 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. | 11He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end. |
| 12I have concluded that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to enjoy themselves as long as they live, | 12I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one's lifetime; |
| 13and also that everyone should eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all his toil, for these things are a gift from God. | 13moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor-- it is the gift of God. |
| 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. | 14I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him. |
| 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. | 15That which is has been already and that which will be has already been, for God seeks what has passed by. |
| 16I saw something else on earth: In the place of justice, there was wickedness, and in the place of fairness, there was wickedness. | 16Furthermore, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is wickedness and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness. |
| 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. | 17I 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. |
| 18I also thought to myself, "It is for the sake of people, so God can clearly show them that they are like animals. | 18I said to myself concerning the sons of men, "God has surely tested them in order for them to see that they are but beasts." |
| 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. | 19For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As one dies so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity. |
| 20Both go to the same place, both come from the dust, and to dust both return. | 20All go to the same place. All came from the dust and all return to the dust. |
| 21Who really knows if the human spirit ascends upward, and the animal's spirit descends into the earth? | 21Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth? |
| 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? | 22I have seen that nothing is better than that man should be happy in his activities, for that is his lot. For who will bring him to see what will occur after him? |
| NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. //netbible.com. Used by permission. All rights reserved. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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