Ecclesiastes 3 – read 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, and a time to every purpose under the 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 get, 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 in that wherein he laboureth?
[10] I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
[11] He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
[12] I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
[13] And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.
[14] I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
[15] That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.
[16] And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.
[17] I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.
[18] I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.
[19] For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.
[20] All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
[21] Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?
[22] Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?

Ecclesiastes 3:5 Heb. to be far from
Ecclesiastes 3:6 Or, seek
Ecclesiastes 3:15 Heb. that which is driven away
Ecclesiastes 3:18 Or, that they might clear God, and see, etc.
Ecclesiastes 3:21a Heb. of the sons of man
Ecclesiastes 3:21b Heb. is ascending

Scripture quotations from The Authorized King James Version of the Holy Bible, using the standardized text of 1769. It is in the public domain.

Greek Bible (LXX/BYZ)

Ecclesiastes 3 (BYZ)

[1] Τοῖς () πᾶσιν () χρόνος, () καὶ () καιρὸς () τῷ () παντὶ () πράγματι () ὑπὸ () τὸν () οὐρανόν. ()
[2] Καιρὸς () τοῦ () τεκεῖν () καὶ () καιρὸς () τοῦ () ἀποθανεῖν, () καιρὸς () τοῦ () φυτεῦσαι () καὶ () καιρὸς () τοῦ () ἐκτῖλαι πεφυτευμένον, ()
[3] καιρὸς () τοῦ () ἀποκτεῖναι () καὶ () καιρὸς () τοῦ () ἰάσασθαι, () καιρὸς () τοῦ () καθελεῖν () καὶ () καιρὸς () τοῦ () οἰκοδομῆσαι, ()
[4] καιρὸς () τοῦ () κλαῦσαι () καὶ () καιρὸς () τοῦ () γελάσαι, () καιρὸς () τοῦ () κόψασθαι () καὶ () καιρὸς () τοῦ () ὀρχήσασθαι, ()
[5] καιρὸς () τοῦ () βαλεῖν () λίθους () καὶ () καιρὸς () τοῦ () συναγαγεῖν () λίθους, () καιρὸς () τοῦ () περιλαβεῖν καὶ () καιρὸς () τοῦ () μακρυνθῆναι ἀπὸ () περιλήμψεως,
[6] καιρὸς () τοῦ () ζητῆσαι () καὶ () καιρὸς () τοῦ () ἀπολέσαι, () καιρὸς () τοῦ () φυλάξαι () καὶ () καιρὸς () τοῦ () ἐκβαλεῖν, ()
[7] καιρὸς () τοῦ () ῥῆξαι () καὶ () καιρὸς () τοῦ () ῥάψαι, καιρὸς () τοῦ () σιγᾶν () καὶ () καιρὸς () τοῦ () λαλεῖν, ()
[8] καιρὸς () τοῦ () φιλῆσαι () καὶ () καιρὸς () τοῦ () μισῆσαι, () καιρὸς () πολέμου () καὶ () καιρὸς () εἰρήνης. ()
[9] Τίς () περισσεία () τοῦ () ποιοῦντος () ἐν () οἷς () αὐτὸς () μοχθεῖ;
[10] Εἶδον () σὺν () τὸν () περισπασμόν, ὃν () ἔδωκεν () ὁ () θεὸς () τοῖς () υἱοῖς () τοῦ () ἀνθρώπου () τοῦ () περισπᾶσθαι () ἐν () αὐτῷ. ()
[11] Σὺν () τὰ () πάντα () ἐποίησεν () καλὰ () ἐν () καιρῷ () αὐτοῦ () καί () γε () σὺν () τὸν () αἰῶνα () ἔδωκεν () ἐν () καρδίᾳ () αὐτῶν, () ὅπως () μὴ () εὕρῃ () ὁ () ἄνθρωπος () τὸ () ποίημα, () ὃ () ἐποίησεν () ὁ () θεός, () ἀπ’ () ἀρχῆς () καὶ () μέχρι () τέλους. ()
[12] Ἔγνων () ὅτι () οὐκ () ἔστιν () ἀγαθὸν () ἐν () αὐτοῖς () εἰ () μὴ () τοῦ () εὐφρανθῆναι () καὶ () τοῦ () ποιεῖν () ἀγαθὸν () ἐν () ζωῇ () αὐτοῦ· ()
[13] καί () γε () πᾶς () ὁ () ἄνθρωπος, () ὃς () φάγεται () καὶ () πίεται () καὶ () ἴδῃ () ἀγαθὸν () ἐν () παντὶ () μόχθῳ () αὐτοῦ, () δόμα () θεοῦ () ἐστιν. ()
[14] Ἔγνων () ὅτι () πάντα, () ὅσα () ἐποίησεν () ὁ () θεός, () αὐτὰ () ἔσται () εἰς () τὸν () αἰῶνα· () ἐπ’ () αὐτῷ () οὐκ () ἔστιν () προσθεῖναι, () καὶ () ἀπ’ () αὐτοῦ () οὐκ () ἔστιν () ἀφελεῖν, () καὶ () ὁ () θεὸς () ἐποίησεν, () ἵνα () φοβηθῶσιν () ἀπὸ () προσώπου () αὐτοῦ. ()
[15] Τὸ () γενόμενον () ἤδη () ἐστίν, () καὶ () ὅσα () τοῦ () γίνεσθαι, () ἤδη () γέγονεν, () καὶ () ὁ () θεὸς () ζητήσει () τὸν () διωκόμενον. ()
[16] Καὶ () ἔτι () εἶδον () ὑπὸ () τὸν () ἥλιον () τόπον () τῆς () κρίσεως, () ἐκεῖ () ὁ () ἀσεβής, () καὶ () τόπον () τοῦ () δικαίου, () ἐκεῖ () ὁ () ἀσεβής. ()
[17] Εἶπα () ἐγὼ () ἐν () καρδίᾳ () μου () Σὺν () τὸν () δίκαιον () καὶ () σὺν () τὸν () ἀσεβῆ () κρινεῖ () ὁ () θεός, () ὅτι () καιρὸς () τῷ () παντὶ () πράγματι () καὶ () ἐπὶ () παντὶ () τῷ () ποιήματι. ()
[18] Ἐκεῖ () εἶπα () ἐγὼ () ἐν () καρδίᾳ () μου () περὶ () λαλιᾶς () υἱῶν () τοῦ () ἀνθρώπου, () ὅτι () διακρινεῖ () αὐτοὺς () ὁ () θεός, () καὶ () τοῦ () δεῖξαι () ὅτι () αὐτοὶ () κτήνη () εἰσὶν () καί () γε () αὐτοῖς. ()
[19] Ὅτι () συνάντημα υἱῶν () τοῦ () ἀνθρώπου () καὶ () συνάντημα τοῦ () κτήνους, () συνάντημα ἓν () αὐτοῖς· () ὡς () ὁ () θάνατος () τούτου, () οὕτως () ὁ () θάνατος () τούτου, () καὶ () πνεῦμα () ἓν () τοῖς () πᾶσιν· () καὶ () τί () ἐπερίσσευσεν () ὁ () ἄνθρωπος () παρὰ () τὸ () κτῆνος; () Οὐδέν, () ὅτι () τὰ () πάντα () ματαιότης. ()
[20] Τὰ () πάντα () πορεύεται () εἰς () τόπον () ἕνα· () τὰ () πάντα () ἐγένετο () ἀπὸ () τοῦ () χοός, () καὶ () τὰ () πάντα () ἐπιστρέφει () εἰς () τὸν () χοῦν· ()
[21] καὶ () τίς () οἶδεν () πνεῦμα () υἱῶν () τοῦ () ἀνθρώπου () εἰ () ἀναβαίνει () αὐτὸ () εἰς () ἄνω, () καὶ () πνεῦμα () τοῦ () κτήνους () εἰ () καταβαίνει () αὐτὸ () κάτω () εἰς () γῆν; ()
[22] Καὶ () εἶδον () ὅτι () οὐκ () ἔστιν () ἀγαθὸν () εἰ () μὴ () ὃ () εὐφρανθήσεται () ὁ () ἄνθρωπος () ἐν () ποιήμασιν () αὐτοῦ, () ὅτι () αὐτὸ () μερὶς () αὐτοῦ· () ὅτι () τίς () ἄξει () αὐτὸν () τοῦ () ἰδεῖν () ἐν () ᾧ () ἐὰν () γένηται () μετ’ () αὐτόν; ()

Old Testament scripture quotations and versification from Septuaginta, edited by Alfred Rahlfs (Stuttgart: Württembergische Bibelanstalt, 1935). New Testament quotations are from the Byzantine Text (Guardian Press, LLC, Robinson-Pierpont Byzantine Textform, 2026). Both are in the public domain.