Bible Gateway Ecclesiastes 3 :: NIV

Ecclesiastes 3 · 1: There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: · 2: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a ... Ecclesiastes31Thereisatimeforeverything,andaseasonforeveryactivityunderheaven:2atimetobebornandatimetodie,atimetoplantandatimetouproot,3atimetokillandatimetoheal,atimetoteardownandatimetobuild,4atimetoweepandatimetolaugh,atimetomournandatimetodance,5atimetoscatterstonesandatimetogatherthem,atimetoembraceandatimetorefrain,6atimetosearchandatimetogiveup,atimetokeepandatimetothrowaway,7atimetotearandatimetomend,atimetobesilentandatimetospeak,8atimetoloveandatimetohate,atimeforwarandatimeforpeace.9Whatdoestheworkergainfromhistoil?10IhaveseentheburdenGodhaslaidonmen.11Hehasmadeeverythingbeautifulinitstime.Hehasalsoseteternityintheheartsofmen;yettheycannotfathomwhatGodhasdonefrombeginningtoend.12Iknowthatthereisnothingbetterformenthantobehappyanddogoodwhiletheylive.13Thateveryonemayeatanddrink,andfindsatisfactioninallhistoil--thisisthegiftofGod.14IknowthateverythingGoddoeswillendureforever;nothingcanbeaddedtoitandnothingtakenfromit.Goddoesitsothatmenwillreverehim.15Whateverishasalreadybeen,andwhatwillbehasbeenbefore;andGodwillcallthepasttoaccount.[1]16AndIsawsomethingelseunderthesun:Intheplaceofjudgment--wickednesswasthere,intheplaceofjustice--wickednesswasthere.17Ithoughtinmyheart,"Godwillbringtojudgmentboththerighteousandthewicked,fortherewillbeatimeforeveryactivity,atimeforeverydeed."18Ialsothought,"Asformen,Godteststhemsothattheymayseethattheyareliketheanimals.19Man'sfateislikethatoftheanimals;thesamefateawaitsthemboth:Asonedies,sodiestheother.Allhavethesamebreath[2];manhasnoadvantageovertheanimal.Everythingismeaningless.20Allgotothesameplace;allcomefromdust,andtodustallreturn.21Whoknowsifthespiritofmanrisesupwardandifthespiritoftheanimal[3]goesdownintotheearth?"22SoIsawthatthereisnothingbetterforamanthantoenjoyhiswork,becausethatishislot.Forwhocanbringhimtoseewhatwillhappenafterhim?[15]OrGodcallsbackthepast [19]Orspirit [21]OrWhoknowsthespiritofman,whichrisesupward,orthespiritoftheanimal,which