Ecclesiastes 3 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

A Time for Everything

1 There is an appointed ^H2165 time ^H2165 for everything ^H3605. And there is a time ^H6256 for every ^H3605 [fn]matter ^H2656 under ^H8478 heaven ^H8064—

2 A time ^H6256 to give ^H3205 birth ^H3205 and a time ^H6256 to die ^H4191;

A time ^H6256 to plant ^H5193 and a time ^H6256 to uproot ^H6131 what is planted ^H5193.

3 A time ^H6256 to kill ^H2026 and a time ^H6256 to heal ^H7495;

A time ^H6256 to tear ^H6555 down ^H6555 and a time ^H6256 to build ^H1129 up ^H1129.

4 A time ^H6256 to weep ^H1058 and a time ^H6256 to laugh ^H7832;

A time ^H6256 to mourn ^H5594 and a time ^H6256 to dance ^H7540.

5 A time ^H6256 to throw ^H7993 stones ^H68 and a time ^H6256 to gather ^H3664 stones ^H68;

A time ^H6256 to embrace ^H2263 and a time ^H6256 to shun ^H7368 embracing ^H2263.

6 A time ^H6256 to search ^H1245 and a time ^H6256 to lose ^H6;

A time ^H6256 to keep ^H8104 and a time ^H6256 to throw ^H7993 away ^H7993.

7 A time ^H6256 to tear ^H7167 apart ^H7167 and a time ^H6256 to sew ^H8609 together ^H8609;

A time ^H6256 to be silent ^H2814 and a time ^H6256 to speak ^H1696.

8 A time ^H6256 to love ^H157 and a time ^H6256 to hate ^H8130;

A time ^H6256 for war ^H4421 and a time ^H6256 for peace ^H7965.

9 What ^H4100 advantage ^H3504 is there to the worker ^H6213 from that in which ^H834 he labors ^H6001?

10 I have seen ^H7200 the endeavor ^H6045 which ^H834 God ^H430 has given ^H5414 the sons ^H1121 of men ^H120 with which to occupy ^H6031 themselves.

God Set Eternity in the Heart of Man

11 He has made ^H6213 everything ^H3605 [fn]beautiful ^H3303 in its time ^H6256. He has also ^H1571 set ^H5414 eternity ^H5769 in their heart ^H3820, [fn]yet ^H1097 so ^H1097 that man ^H120 will not find ^H4672 out ^H4672 the work ^H4639 which ^H834 God ^H430 has done ^H6213 from the beginning ^H7218 even to the end ^H5490.

12 I know ^H3045 that [fn]there ^H369 is ^H369 nothing ^H369 better ^H2896 for them than ^H3588 H518 to be glad ^H8055 and to do ^H6213 good ^H2896 in one’s lifetime ^H2416; 13 moreover ^H1571, that every ^H3605 man ^H120 who ^H7945 eats ^H398 and drinks ^H8354 and sees ^H7200 good ^H2896 in all ^H3605 his labor ^H5999—it is the gift ^H4991 of God ^H430. 14 I know ^H3045 that everything ^H3605 H834 God ^H430 does ^H6213 will be ^H1961 forever ^H5769; there ^H369 is ^H369 nothing ^H369 to add ^H3254 to it and there ^H369 is ^H369 nothing ^H369 to take ^H1639 from it—God ^H430 has so worked ^H6213 that men should [fn]fear ^H3372 Him. 15 That which ^H4100 H7945 is has been ^H1961 already ^H3528 and that which ^H834 will be has already ^H3528 been ^H1961, yet God ^H430 seeks ^H1245 what is ^H7291 pursued ^H7291.

16 Furthermore ^H5750, I have seen ^H7200 under ^H8478 the sun ^H8121 that in ^H8478 the place ^H4725 of justice ^H4941 there ^H8033 is wickedness ^H7562, and in the place ^H4725 of righteousness ^H6664 there ^H8033 is wickedness ^H7562. 17 I said ^H559 in my heart ^H3820, “God ^H430 will judge ^H8199 both the righteous ^H6662 man ^H6662 and the wicked ^H7563 man ^H7563,” for a time ^H6256 for every ^H3605 [fn]matter ^H2656 and for every ^H3605 work ^H4639 is there ^H8033. 18 I said ^H559 in my heart ^H3820 concerning ^H5921 H1700 the sons ^H1121 of men ^H120, “God ^H430 is testing ^H1305 them in order for them to see ^H7200 that they are but beasts ^H929.” 19 For the fate ^H4745 of the sons ^H1121 of men ^H120 and the fate ^H4745 of beasts ^H929 is the same ^H259 fate ^H4745 for each of them. As one ^H2088 dies ^H4194 so ^H3651 dies ^H4194 the other ^H2088, and they all ^H3605 have the same ^H259 breath ^H7307. So there ^H369 is ^H369 no ^H369 advantage ^H4195 for man ^H120 over ^H4480 beast ^H929, for all ^H3605 is [fn]vanity ^H1892. 20 All ^H3605 go ^H1980 to the same ^H259 place ^H4725. All ^H3605 came ^H1961 from the dust ^H6083, and all ^H3605 return ^H7725 to the dust ^H6083. 21 Who ^H4310 knows ^H3045 that the breath ^H7307 of man ^H120 ascends ^H5927 upward ^H4605 and the breath ^H7307 of the beast ^H929 descends ^H3381 downward ^H4295 to the earth ^H776? 22 I have seen ^H7200 that nothing ^H369 is better ^H2896 than ^H4480 that man ^H120 should be glad ^H8055 in his works ^H4639, for that is his portion ^H2506. For who ^H4310 will bring ^H935 him to see ^H7200 what ^H4100 will occur ^H1961 after ^H310 him?