Ecclesiastes/Qohelet 3

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens.	1 All things have their time, and all things under heaven continue during their interval.
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant.	2 A time to be born, and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to pull up what was planted.
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to tear down, and a time to build.	3 A time to kill, and a time to heal. A time to tear 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.	4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh. A time to mourn, and a time to dance.
5 A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them; a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.	5 A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather. A time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.
6 A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away.	6 A time to gain, 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 be silent, and a time to speak.	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.	8 A time of love, and a time of hatred. A time of war, and a time of peace.
9 What advantage has the worker from his toil?	9 What more does a man have from his labor?
10 I have considered the task which God has appointed for men to be busied about.	10 I have seen the affliction that God has given to the sons of men, in order that they may be occupied by it.
11 He has made everything appropriate to its time, and has put the timeless into their hearts, without men's ever discovering, from beginning to end, the work which God has done.	11 He has made all things good in their time, and he has handed over the world to their disputes, so that man may not discover the work which God made from the beginning, even until the end.
12 I recognized that there is nothing better than to be glad and to do well during life.	12 And I realize that there is nothing better than to rejoice, and to do well in this life.
13 For every man, moreover, to eat and drink and enjoy the fruit of all his labor is a gift of God.	13 For this is a gift from God: when each man eats and drinks, and sees the good results of his labor.
14 I recognized that whatever God does will endure forever; there is no adding to it, or taking from it. Thus has God done that he may be revered.	14 I have learned that all the works which God has made continue on, in perpetuity. We are not able to add anything, nor to take anything away, from those things which God has made in order that he may be feared.
15 What now is has already been; what is to be, already is; and God restores what would otherwise be displaced.	15 What has been made, the same continues. What is in the future, has already existed. And God restores what has passed away.
16 And still under the sun in the judgment place I saw wickedness, and in the seat of justice, iniquity.	16 I saw under the sun: instead of judgment, impiety, and instead of justice, iniquity.
17 And I said to myself, both the just and the wicked God will judge, since there is a time for every affair and on every work a judgment.	17 And I said in my heart: “God will judge the just and the impious, and then the time for each matter shall be.”
18 I said to myself: As for the children of men, it is God's way of testing them and of showing that they are in themselves like beasts.	18 I said in my heart, about the sons of men, that God would test them, and reveal them to be like wild animals.
19 For the lot of man and of beast is one lot; the one dies as well as the other. Both have the same life-breath, and man has no advantage over the beast; but all is vanity.	19 For this reason, the passing away of man and of beasts is one, and the condition of both is equal. For as a man dies, so also do they die. All things breathe similarly, and man has nothing more than beast; for all these are subject to vanity.
20 Both go to the same place; both were made from the dust, and to the dust they both return.	20 And all things continue on to one place; for from the earth they were made, and unto the earth they shall return together.
21 Who knows if the life-breath of the children of men goes upward and the life-breath of beasts goes earthward?	21 Who knows if the spirit of the sons of Adam ascend upward, and if the spirit of the beasts descend downward?
22 And I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to rejoice in his work; for this is his lot. Who will let him see what is to come after him?	22 And I have discovered nothing to be better than for a man to rejoice in his work: for this is his portion. And who shall add to him, so that he may know the things that will occur after him?