1 For everything there is a fixed time, and a time for every business under the sun.2 A time for birth and a time for death; a time for planting and a time for uprooting;3 A time to put to death and a time to make well; a time for pulling down and a time for building up;4 A time for weeping and a time for laughing; a time for sorrow and a time for dancing;5 A time to take stones away and a time to get stones together; a time for kissing and a time to keep from kissing;6 A time for search and a time for loss; a time to keep and a time to give away;7 A time for undoing and a time for stitching; a time for keeping quiet and a time for talk;8 A time for love and a time for hate; a time for war and a time for peace.9 What profit has the worker in the work which he does?10 I saw the work which God has put on the sons of man.11 He has made everything right in its time; but he has made their hearts without knowledge, so that man is unable to see the works of God, from the first to the last.12 I am certain that there is nothing better for a man than to be glad, and to do good while life is in him.13 And for every man to take food and drink, and have joy in all his work, is a reward from God.14 I am certain that whatever God does will be for ever. No addition may be made to it, nothing may be taken from it; and God has done it so that man may be in fear before him.15 Whatever is has been before, and what is to be is now; because God makes search for the things which are past.16 And again, I saw under the sun, in the place of the judges, that evil was there; and in the place of righteousness, that evil was there.17 I said in my heart, God will be judge of the good and of the bad; because a time for every purpose and for every work has been fixed by him.18 I said in my heart, It is because of the sons of men, so that God may put them to the test and that they may see themselves as beasts.19 Because the fate of the sons of men and the fate of the beasts is the same. As is the death of one so is the death of the other, and all have one spirit. Man is not higher than the beasts; because all is to no purpose.20 All go to one place, all are of the dust, and all will be turned to dust again.21 Who is certain that the spirit of the sons of men goes up to heaven, or that the spirit of the beasts goes down to the earth?22 So I saw that there is nothing better than for a man to have joy in his work--because that is his reward. Who will make him see what will come after him?

1 [Omnia tempus habent,et suis spatiis transeunt universa sub clo.2 Tempus nascendi, et tempus moriendi ;tempus plantandi, et tempus evellendi quod plantatum est.3 Tempus occidendi, et tempus sanandi ;tempus destruendi, et tempus dificandi.4 Tempus flendi, et tempus ridendi ;tempus plangendi, et tempus saltandi.5 Tempus spargendi lapides, et tempus colligendi,tempus amplexandi, et tempus longe fieri ab amplexibus.6 Tempus acquirendi, et tempus perdendi ;tempus custodiendi, et tempus abjiciendi.7 Tempus scindendi, et tempus consuendi ;tempus tacendi, et tempus loquendi.8 Tempus dilectionis, et tempus odii ;tempus belli, et tempus pacis.]9 [Quid habet amplius homo de labore suo ?10 Vidi afflictionem quam dedit Deus filiis hominum,ut distendantur in ea.11 Cuncta fecit bona in tempore suo,et mundum tradidit disputationi eorum,ut non inveniat homo opusquod operatus est Deus ab initio usque ad finem.12 Et cognovi quod non esset melius nisi ltari,et facere bene in vita sua ;13 omnis enim homo qui comedit et bibit,et videt bonum de labore suo,hoc donum Dei est.14 Didici quod omnia opera qu fecit Deus perseverent in perpetuum ;non possumus eis quidquam addere, nec auferre,qu fecit Deus ut timeatur.15 Quod factum est, ipsum permanet ;qu futura sunt jam fuerunt,et Deus instaurat quod abiit.]16 [Vidi sub sole in loco judicii impietatem,et in loco justiti iniquitatem :17 et dixi in corde meo :Justum et impium judicabit Deus,et tempus omnis rei tunc erit.18 Dixi in corde meo de filiis hominum,ut probaret eos Deus,et ostenderet similes esse bestiis.19 Idcirco unus interitus est hominis et jumentorum,et qua utriusque conditio.Sicut moritur homo,sic et illa moriuntur.Similiter spirant omnia,et nihil habet homo jumento amplius :cuncta subjacent vanitati,20 et omnia pergunt ad unum locum.De terra facta sunt,et in terram pariter revertuntur.21 Quis novit si spiritus filiorum Adam ascendat sursum,et si spiritus jumentorum descendat deorsum ?22 Et deprehendi nihil esse meliusquam ltari hominem in opere suo,et hanc esse partem illius.Quis enim eum adducet ut post se futura cognoscat ?]