Ecclesiastes/Qohelet 3

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 There is a season for everything, a time for every occupation under heaven:	1 All things have their time, and all things under heaven continue during their interval.
2 A time for giving birth, a time for dying; a time for planting, a time for uprooting what has been planted.	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 for kil ing, a time for healing; a time for knocking down, a time for building.	3 A time to kill, and a time to heal. A time to tear down, and a time to build up.
4 A time for tears, a time for laughter; a time for mourning, a time for dancing.	4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh. A time to mourn, and a time to dance.
5 A time for throwing stones away, a time for gathering them; a time for embracing, a time to refrain fromembracing.	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 for searching, a time for losing; a time for keeping, a time for discarding.	6 A time to gain, and a time to lose. A time to keep, and a time to cast away.
7 A time for tearing, a time for sewing; a time for keeping silent, a time for speaking.	7 A time to rend, and a time to sew. A time to be silent, and a time to speak.
8 A time for loving, a time for hating; a time for war, a time for peace.	8 A time of love, and a time of hatred. A time of war, and a time of peace.
9 What do people gain from the efforts they make?	9 What more does a man have from his labor?
10 I contemplate the task that God gives humanity to labour at.	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 All that he does is apt for its time; but although he has given us an awareness of the passage of time,we can grasp neither the beginning nor the end of what God does.	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 know there is no happiness for a human being except in pleasure and enjoyment through life.	12 And I realize that there is nothing better than to rejoice, and to do well in this life.
13 And when we eat and drink and find happiness in all our achievements, this is a gift from 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 know that whatever God does wil be for ever. To this there is nothing to add, from this there isnothing to subtract, and the way God acts inspires dread.	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 is, has been already, what will be, is already; God seeks out anyone who is persecuted.	15 What has been made, the same continues. What is in the future, has already existed. And God restores what has passed away.
16 Again I observe under the sun: crime is where justice should be, the criminal is where the uprightshould be.	16 I saw under the sun: instead of judgment, impiety, and instead of justice, iniquity.
17 And I think to myself: the upright and the criminal will both be judged by God, since there is a time forevery thing and every action here.	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 think to myself: where human beings are concerned, this is so that God can test them and show themthat they are animals.	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 fate of human and the fate of animal is the same: as the one dies, so the other dies; both havethe selfsame breath. Human is in no way better off than animal -- since al is futile.	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 Everything goes to the same place, everything comes from the dust, everything returns to the dust.	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 human spirit mounts upward or if the animal spirit goes downward to the earth?	21 Who knows if the spirit of the sons of Adam ascend upward, and if the spirit of the beasts descend downward?
22 I see there is no contentment for a human being except happiness in achievement; such is the lot of ahuman beings. No one can tel us what wil happen after we are gone.	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?