ECCLESIASTES
OR
THE PREACHER
Ecclesiastes 3 ©
The Preacher teaches here how that all things in the world have their time and season so as God has ordained, vs. 1, 2, etc. Concluding from this that a person cannot do better than to enjoy the gifts of God in this life with a quiet and merry heart, doing good unto his neighbor, 12. Then he makes mention of the iniquity, which is seen practiced in courts of justice, 16, etc. He also shows that people must die, as well as the brute beasts, 18, 19, as also that by the common condition of them that die, they cannot know whether their soul is immortal, 19, etc. Concluding verse 22 as above.
TO1 every thing there is a season, and a time to every 2purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to 3kill, and a time to 4heal; a time to 5break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time 6to laugh; a time 7to mourn, and a time 8to dance;
A time 9to cast away stones, and a 10time to gather stones together; a time to embrace,a and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time 11to get, and a time 12to lose; a time to keep, and a time 13to cast away;
A time 14to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
15What profitb hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?16
I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
17He hath made every thing 18beautiful in his time: also he hath set 19the world 20in their heart, so that no man 21can find out the work that God maketh 22from the beginning to the end.
I know that there is no good 23in them, but for a man to rejoice, and 24to do good in his life.
And also that every man should 25eat and drink, and 26enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.
I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall 27be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and 28God requireth that which is past.
¶And moreover I 29saw under the sun 30the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.
I said in mine heart, God shall judge 31the righteous and the wicked: 32for there is a time 33there for every purpose and for every work.
I said in mine heart 34concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God 35might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.
For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even 36one thing befalleth them: as 37the one dieth, so dieth 38the other; yea, 39they have all 40one breath; so that a man hath 41no preeminence above a beast: for 42all is vanity.
All go 43unto one place; all 44arec of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
Who knoweth 45the spirit of man that 46goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that 47goeth downward to the earth?
Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice 48in his own works; for 49that is his portion: for 50who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?