Ecclesiastes Chapter 3

2 For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skilfulness; yet to a man that hath not labored therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

3 For what hath a man of all his labor, and of the striving of his heart, wherein he laboreth under the sun?

4 For all his days are

5 but sorrows, and his travail is grief; yea, even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity.

6 There is nothing better for a man

7 than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.

8 For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?

9 For to the man that pleaseth him

10 God giveth wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that pleaseth God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

11 For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:

12 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

13 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

14 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

15 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

16 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

17 a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

18 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

19 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboreth?

20 I have seen the travail which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.

21 He hath made everything beautiful in its time: also he hath set eternity in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end.

22 I know that there is nothing better for them, than to rejoice, and to do good so long as they live.

darby (darby) - eBible.org Darby 1890 plaintext

1 To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heavens:

2 A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 A time to seek, and a time to lose; A time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 A time to love, and a time to hate; A time of war, and a time of peace.

9 What profit hath he that worketh from that wherein he laboureth?

10 I have seen the travail thatGod hath given to the sons of men to toil in.

11 He hath made everything beautiful in its time; also he hath set the world in their heart, so that man findeth not out from the beginning to the end the work thatGod doeth.

12 I know that there is nothing good for them but to rejoice and to do well in their life;

13 yea also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labour, it is the gift ofGod.

14 I know that whateverGod doeth, it shall be for ever; there is nothing to be added to it, nor anything to be taken from it; andGod doeth [it], that [men] should fear before him.

15 That which is was long ago, and that which is to be hath already been; andGod bringeth back again that which is past.

16 And moreover I saw under the sun, that in the place of judgment, wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, wickedness was there.

17 I said in my heart,God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

18 I said in my heart, It is thus with the children of men, thatGod may prove them, and that they should see that they themselves are but beasts.

19 For what befalleth the children of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other, and they have all one breath; and man hath no pre-eminence above the beast: for all is vanity.

20 All go unto one place: all are of the dust, and all return to dust.

21 Who knoweth the spirit of the children of men? Doth it go upwards? and the spirit of the beasts, doth it go downwards to the earth?

22 And I have seen that there is nothing better than that man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion; for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?

lxxbrent (lxxbrent) - Septuagint (Brenton 1851) eBible USFM

1 To all things there is a time, and a season for every matter under heaven.

2 A time of birth, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what has been planted;

3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to pull down, and a time to build up;

4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to lament, and a time to dance;

5 a time to throw stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to abstain from embracing;

6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to be silent, and a time to speak;

8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

9 What advantage [has] he that works in those things wherein he labours?

10 I have seen all the trouble, which God has given to the sons of men to be troubled with.

11 All the things which he has made are beautiful in his time: he has also set the whole world in their heart, that man might not find out the work which God has wrought from the beginning even to the end.

12 I know that there is no good in them, except [for a man] to rejoice, and to do good in his life.

13 Also [in the case of] every man who shall eat and drink, and see good in all his labour, [this] is a gift of God.

14 I know that whatsoever things God has done, they shall be for ever: it is impossible to add to it, and it is impossible to take away from it: and God has done [it], that [men] may fear before him.

15 That which has been is now; and whatever things [are appointed] to be have already been; and God will seek out that which is past.

16 And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, there was the ungodly one; and the place of righteousness, there was the godly one.

17 And I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the ungodly: for there is a time there for every action and for every work.

18 I said in my heart, concerning the speech of the sons of man, God will judge them, and that to shew that they are beasts.

19 Also to them is the event of the sons of man, and the event of the brute; one event befalls them: as is the death of the one, so also the death of the other; and there is one breath to all: and what has the man more than the brute? nothing; for all is vanity.

20 All [go] to one place; all were formed of the dust, and all will return to dust.

21 And who has seen the spirit of the sons of man, whether it goes upward? and the spirit of the beast, whether it goes downward to the earth?

22 And I saw that there was no good, but that wherein a man shall rejoice in his works, for it is his portion, for who shall bring him to see any thing of that which shall be after him?

vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)

1 Omnia tempus habent, et suis spatiis transeunt universa sub cælo.

2 Tempus nascendi, et tempus moriendi. Tempus plantandi, et tempus evellendi quod plantatum est.

3 Tempus occidendi, et tempus sanandi: Tempus destruendi, et tempus ædificandi.

4 Tempus flendi, et tempus ridendi. Tempus plangendi, et tempus saltandi.

5 Tempus spargendi lapides, et tempus colligendi. Tempus amplexandi, et tempus longe fieri ab amplexibus.

6 Tempus acquirendi, et tempus perdendi. Tempus custodiendi, et tempus abiiciendi.

7 Tempus scindendi, et tempus consuendi. Tempus tacendi, et tempus loquendi.

8 Tempus dilectionis, et tempus odii. Tempus belli, et tempus pacis.

9 Quid habet amplius homo de labore suo?

10 Vidi afflictionem, quam dedit Deus filiis hominum, ut distendantur in ea.

11 Cuncta fecit bona in tempore suo, et mundum tradidit disputationi eorum, ut non inveniat homo opus, quod operatus est Deus ab initio usque ad finem.

12 Et cognovi quod non esset melius nisi lætari, et facere bene in vita sua.

13 Omnis enim homo, qui comedit et bibit, et videt bonum de labore suo, hoc donum Dei est.

14 Didici quod omnia opera, quæ fecit Deus, perseverent in perpetuum: non possumus eis quidquam addere, nec auferre, quæ fecit Deus ut timeatur.

15 Quod factum est, ipsum permanet: quæ futura sunt, iam fuerunt: et Deus instaurat quod abiit.

16 Vidi sub sole in loco iudicii impietatem, et in loco iustitiæ iniquitatem.

17 Et dixi in corde meo: Iustum, et impium iudicabit Deus, et tempus omnis rei tunc erit.

18 Dixi in corde meo de filiis hominum, ut probaret eos Deus, et ostenderet similes esse bestiis.

19 Idcirco unus interitus est hominis, et iumentorum, et æqua utriusque conditio: sicut moritur homo, sic et illa moriuntur: similiter spirant omnia, et nihil habet homo iumento amplius: cuncta subiacent vanitati,

20 et omnia pergunt ad unum locum: de terra facta sunt, et in terram pariter revertuntur.

21 Quis novit si spiritus filiorum Adam ascendat sursum, et si spiritus iumentorum descendat deorsum?

22 Et deprehendi nihil esse melius quam lætari hominem in opere suo, et hanc esse partem illius. Quis enim eum adducet, ut post se futura cognoscat?

web (web) - WorldEnglish.Bible — CC0 modern update of ASV

1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:

2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

9 What profit has he who works in that in which he labors?

10 I have seen the burden which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their hearts, yet so that man can’t find out the work that God has done from the beginning even to the end.

12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and to do good as long as they live.

13 Also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor, is the gift of God.

14 I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; and God has done it, that men should fear before him.

15 That which is has been long ago, and that which is to be has been long ago. God seeks again that which is passed away.

16 Moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.

17 I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”

18 I said in my heart, “As for the sons of men, God tests them, so that they may see that they themselves are like animals.

19 For that which happens to the sons of men happens to animals. Even one thing happens to them. As the one dies, so the other dies. Yes, they have all one breath; and man has no advantage over the animals, for all is vanity.

20 All go to one place. All are from the dust, and all turn to dust again.

21 Who knows the spirit of man, whether it goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, whether it goes downward to the earth?”

22 Therefore I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his works, for that is his portion; for who can bring him to see what will be after him?

ylt (ylt) - Bible.com YLT98 plain UTF-8

1 To everything--a season, and a time to every delight under the heavens:

2 A time to bring forth, And a time to die. A time to plant, And a time to eradicate the planted.

3 A time to slay, And a time to heal, A time to break down, And a time to build up.

4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh. A time to mourn, And a time to skip.

5 A time to cast away stones, And a time to heap up stones. A time to embrace, And a time to be far from embracing.

6 A time to seek, And a time to destroy. A time to keep, And a time to cast away.

7 A time to rend, And a time to sew. A time to be silent, And a time to speak.

8 A time to love, And a time to hate. A time of war, And a time of peace.

9 What advantage hath the doer in that which he is labouring at?

10 I have seen the travail that God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.

11 The whole He hath made beautiful in its season; also, that knowledge He hath put in their heart without which man findeth not out the work that God hath done from the beginning even unto the end.

12 I have known that there is no good for them except to rejoice and to do good during their life,

13 yea, even every man who eateth and hath drunk and seen good by all his labour, it <FI>is<Fi> a gift of God.

14 I have known that all that God doth is to the age, to it nothing is to be added, and from it nothing is to be withdrawn; and God hath wrought that they do fear before Him.

15 What is that which hath been? already it is, and that which <FI>is<Fi> to be hath already been, and God requireth that which is pursued.

16 And again, I have seen under the sun the place of judgment--there <FI>is<Fi> the wicked; and the place of righteousness--there <FI>is<Fi> the wicked.

17 I said in my heart, `The righteous and the wicked doth God judge, for a time <FI>is<Fi> to every matter and for every work there.'

18 I said in my heart concerning the matter of the sons of man that God might cleanse them, so as to see that they themselves <FI>are<Fi> beasts.

19 For an event <FI>is to<Fi> the sons of man, and an event <FI>is to<Fi> the beasts, even one event <FI>is<Fi> to them; as the death of this, so <FI>is<Fi> the death of that; and one spirit <FI>is<Fi> to all, and the advantage of man above the beast is nothing, for the whole <FI>is<Fi> vanity.

20 The whole are going unto one place, the whole have been from the dust, and the whole are turning back unto the dust.

21 Who knoweth the spirit of the sons of man that is going up on high, and the spirit of the beast that is going down below to the earth?

22 And I have seen that there is nothing better than that man rejoice in his works, for it <FI>is<Fi> his portion; for who doth bring him in to look on that which is after him?

Explanations by Age Level

Explain Like I'm 5

A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!

Explain Like I'm 10

Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.

Explain Like I'm 15

Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).