Ecclesiastes 3read and compare multiple versions of the Bible
World English Bible
Ecclesiastes 3 (WEBP)
[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?
Scripture quotations are taken from The World English Bible™ of eBible.org, 2020 stable text edition. It is in the public domain.
King James w/Strong’s #s
Ecclesiastes 3 (KJVS)
[1] To every [thing there is] a season H2165, and a time H6256 to every purpose H2656 under the heaven H8064:
[2] A time H6256 to be born H3205 (8800), and a time H6256 to die H4191 (8800); a time H6256 to plant H5193 (8800), and a time H6256 to pluck up H6131 (8800) [that which is] planted H5193 (8803);
[3] A time H6256 to kill H2026 (8800), and a time H6256 to heal H7495 (8800); a time H6256 to break down H6555 (8800), and a time H6256 to build up H1129 (8800);
[4] A time H6256 to weep H1058 (8800), and a time H6256 to laugh H7832 (8800); a time H6256 to mourn H5594 (8800), and a time H6256 to dance H7540 (8800);
[5] A time H6256 to cast away H7993 (8687) stones H68, and a time H6256 to gather H3664 stones H68 together H3664 (8800); a time H6256 to embrace H2263 (8800), and a time H6256 to refrain H7368 (8800) from embracing H2263 (8763);
[6] A time H6256 to get H1245 (8763), and a time H6256 to lose H6 (8763); a time H6256 to keep H8104 (8800), and a time H6256 to cast away H7993 (8687);
[7] A time H6256 to rend H7167 (8800), and a time H6256 to sew H8609 (8800); a time H6256 to keep silence H2814 (8800), and a time H6256 to speak H1696 (8763);
[8] A time H6256 to love H157 (8800), and a time H6256 to hate H8130 (8800); a time H6256 of war H4421, and a time H6256 of peace H7965.
[9] What profit H3504 hath he that worketh H6213 (8802) in that wherein H834 he laboureth H6001?
[10] I have seen H7200 (8804) the travail H6045, which God H430 hath given H5414 (8804) to the sons H1121 of men H120 to be exercised H6031 (8800) in it.
[11] He hath made H6213 (8804) every [thing] beautiful H3303 in his time H6256: also he hath set H5414 (8804) the world H5769 in their heart H3820, so that H1097 no man H120 can find out H4672 (8799) the work H4639 that God H430 maketh H6213 (8804) from the beginning H7218 to the end H5490.
[12] I know H3045 (8804) that [there is] no good H2896 in them, but for [a man] to rejoice H8055 (8800), and to do H6213 (8800) good H2896 in his life H2416.
[13] And also that every man H120 should eat H398 (8799) and drink H8354 (8804), and enjoy H7200 (8804) the good H2896 of all his labour H5999, it [is] the gift H4991 of God H430.
[14] I know H3045 (8804) that, whatsoever God H430 doeth H6213 (8799), it shall be for ever H5769: nothing H369 can be put H3254 (8687) to it, nor any thing taken H1639 (8800) from it: and God H430 doeth H6213 (8804) [it], that [men] should fear H3372 (8799) before H6440 him.
[15] That which hath been is now H3528; and that which is to be hath already H3528 been; and God H430 requireth H1245 (8762) that which is past H7291 (8737).
[16] And moreover I saw H7200 (8804) under the sun H8121 the place H4725 of judgment H4941, [that] wickedness H7562 [was] there; and the place H4725 of righteousness H6664, [that] iniquity H7562 [was] there.
[17] I said H559 (8804) in mine heart H3820, God H430 shall judge H8199 (8799) the righteous H6662 and the wicked H7563: for [there is] a time H6256 there for every purpose H2656 and for every work H4639.
[18] I said H559 (8804) in mine heart H3820 concerning the estate H1700 of the sons H1121 of men H120, that God H430 might manifest H1305 (8800) them, and that they might see H7200 (8800) that they H1992 themselves are beasts H929.
[19] For that which befalleth H4745 the sons H1121 of men H120 befalleth H4745 beasts H929; even one thing H259 befalleth H4745 them: as the one dieth H4194, so dieth H4194 the other H2088; yea, they have all one H259 breath H7307; so that a man H120 hath no preeminence H4195 above a beast H929: for all [is] vanity H1892.
[20] All go H1980 (8802) unto one H259 place H4725; all are of the dust H6083, and all turn H7725 to dust H6083 again H7725 (8804).
[21] Who knoweth H3045 (8802) the spirit H7307 of man H1121 H120 that goeth H5927 (8802) upward H4605, and the spirit H7307 of the beast H929 that goeth H3381 (8802) downward H4295 to the earth H776?
[22] Wherefore I perceive H7200 (8804) that [there is] nothing better H2896, than that a man H120 should rejoice H8055 (8799) in his own works H4639; for that [is] his portion H2506: for who shall bring H935 (8686) him to see H7200 (8800) what shall be after H310 him?
Young’s Literal Translation
Ecclesiastes 3 (YLT)
[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 is 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 is 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 is the wicked; and the place of righteousness-there is the wicked.
[17] I said in my heart, ‘The righteous and the wicked doth God judge, for a time is 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 are beasts.
[19] For an event is to the sons of man, and an event is to the beasts, even one event is to them; as the death of this, so is the death of that; and one spirit is to all, and the advantage of man above the beast is nothing, for the whole is 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 is his portion; for who doth bring him in to look on that which is after him?