1To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 2A time to be born, 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 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; 5A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6A time to gain, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to discard; 7A time to tear, and a time to mend (sew); 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. 9What do people gain from their hard work? 10I have seen the burden which God has given to the mankind. 11He has made everything beautiful in its time; He has also set eternity in the heart of man, yet no man can fathom the work that God has done from beginning to end. 12I know that there is nothing better for them, but to rejoice, and to do good during their life; 13And that every man should eat, drink, and enjoy the fruits of his labor; it is the gift of God. 14I know that, whatever God does, it shall endure forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; and God does it so that men should fear and revere Him. 15That which has already been is now, and that which is to be has already been; and God will call the past to account.

16And I saw something else under the sun: in the place of judgement (courtroom), I saw that wickedness was there; and in the place meant for justice, corruption was there. 17I said to myself, “In due season, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time for every purpose and for every work.” 18I also said to myself regarding the estate of men, “God tests them so that they might see that they, themselves, are like animals.” 19For what befalls men also befalls animals. That same thing befalls them both: as the one dies, so dies the other - yes, they all have but one breath; so that a man has no preeminence over animals; for all is vanity. 20All go to one place; all come from the dust, and all return to dust. 21Who knows if the spirit of man goes upward, and the spirit of the animal goes downward to the earth? 22And so I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a men should enjoy his own work; for that is his lot. For who shall bring him back to see what shall happen after he dies?