Ecclesiastes/Qohelet 3

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
1 There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens.	1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
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 pluck up what is 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 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.	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 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.	6 a time to seek, 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 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.	8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
9 What advantage has the worker from his toil?	9 What gain has the worker from his toil?
10 I have considered the task which God has appointed for men to be busied about.	10 I have seen the business that God has given to the sons of men to be busy with
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 everything beautiful in its time; also he has put eternity into man's mind, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
12 I recognized that there is nothing better than to be glad and to do well during life.	12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live;
13 For every man, moreover, to eat and drink and enjoy the fruit of all his labor is a gift of God.	13 also that it is God's gift to man that every one should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil.
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 know that whatever God does endures for ever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; God has made it so, in order that men should fear before him.
15 What now is has already been; what is to be, already is; and God restores what would otherwise be displaced.	15 That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.
16 And still under the sun in the judgment place I saw wickedness, and in the seat of justice, iniquity.	16 Moreover I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness.
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 I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for he has appointed a time for every matter, and for every work.
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 with regard to the sons of men that God is testing them to show them that they are but beasts.
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 the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts; for all is vanity.
20 Both go to the same place; both were made from the dust, and to the dust they both return.	20 All go to one place; all are from the dust, and all turn to dust again.
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 whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down to the earth?
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 So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should enjoy his work, for that is his lot; who can bring him to see what will be after him?