| Christian Standard Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven: | 1There is a season for everything, and a time for every event under heaven: |
| 2a time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot; | 2a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot what was planted; |
| 3a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to tear down and a time to build; | 3a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to tear down, and a time to build up; |
| 4a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance; | 4a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; |
| 5a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing; | 5a time to scatter stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; |
| 6a time to search and a time to count as lost; a time to keep and a time to throw away; | 6a time to search, and a time to give up searching; a time to keep, and a time to discard; |
| 7a time to tear and a time to sew; a time to be silent and a time to speak; | 7a time to tear, and a time to mend; a time to be silent, and a time to speak; |
| 8a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace. | 8a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. |
| 9What does the worker gain from his struggles? | 9What benefit does the worker gain from what he undertakes? |
| 10I have seen the task that God has given the children of Adam to keep them occupied. | 10I have observed the burdens placed by God on human beings in order to perfect them. |
| 11He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but no one can discover the work God has done from beginning to end. | 11He made everything appropriate in its time. He also placed eternity within them—yet, no person can fully comprehend what God is doing from beginning to end. |
| 12I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and enjoy the good life. | 12I have concluded that the only worthwhile thing for them is to take pleasure in doing good in life; |
| 13It is also the gift of God whenever anyone eats, drinks, and enjoys all his efforts. | 13moreover, every person should eat, drink, and enjoy the benefits of everything that he undertakes, since it is a gift from God. |
| 14I know that everything God does will last forever; there is no adding to it or taking from it. God works so that people will be in awe of him. | 14I have concluded that everything that God undertakes will last for eternity—nothing can be added to it nor taken away from it—and that God acts this way so that people will fear him. |
| 15Whatever is, has already been, and whatever will be, already is. However, God seeks justice for the persecuted. | 15That which was, now is; and that which will be, already is; and God examines what has already taken place. |
| 16I also observed under the sun: there is wickedness at the place of judgment and there is wickedness at the place of righteousness. | 16I also examined on earth: where the halls of justice were supposed to be, there was lawlessness; and where the righteous were supposed to be, there was lawlessness. |
| 17I said to myself, "God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every work." | 17I told myself, "God will judge both the righteous and the wicked, because there is a time set to judge every event and every work." |
| 18I said to myself, "This happens so that God may test the children of Adam and they may see for themselves that they are like animals." | 18"As for human beings," I told myself, "God puts them to the test, that they might see themselves as mere animals." |
| 19For the fate of the children of Adam and the fate of animals is the same. As one dies, so dies the other; they all have the same breath. People have no advantage over animals since everything is futile. | 19For what happens to people also happens to animals—a single event happens to them: just as someone dies, so does the other. In fact, they all breathe the same way, so that a human being has no superiority over an animal. All of this is pointless. |
| 20All are going to the same place; all come from dust, and all return to dust. | 20All of them go to one place: all of them originate from dust, and all of them return to dust. |
| 21Who knows if the spirits of the children of Adam go upward and the spirits of animals go downward to the earth? | 21Who knows whether the spirit of human beings ascends, and whether the spirit of animals descends to the earth? |
| 22I have seen that there is nothing better than for a person to enjoy his activities because that is his reward. For who can enable him to see what will happen after he dies? | 22I concluded that it is worthwhile for people to find joy in their accomplishments, because that is their inheritance, since who can see what will exist after them? |
| The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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