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 万事都有定期， 天下万务都有定时：
2 生有时， 死有时； 栽种有时， 拔出所种的也有时；
3 杀戮有时， 医治有时； 拆毁有时， 建造有时；
4 哭有时， 笑有时； 哀恸有时， 踊跃有时；
5 拋掷石头有时， 堆聚石头有时； 拥抱有时， 避免拥抱有时；
6 寻找有时， 舍弃有时； 保存有时， 拋弃有时；
7 撕裂有时， 缝补有时； 静默有时， 讲话有时；
8 爱有时， 恨有时； 战争有时， 和平有时。
9 作工的人在自己的劳碌上得到什么益处呢？
10 我看 神给予世人的担子， 是要他们为此烦恼。
11 他使万事各按其时， 成为美好； 他又把永恒的意识放在人的心里； 虽然这样， 人还是不能察觉 神自始至终的作为。
12 我晓得人生最好是寻乐享福，
13 人人有吃有喝， 在自己的一切劳碌中自得其乐； 这就是 神的恩赐。
14 我知道 神所作的一切， 都必永存， 无可增添， 无可减少； 神这样作， 为要使人在他面前存敬畏的心。
15 现在有的， 先前就有； 将来有的， 早已有了； 因为 神使已过的事重新出现（" 神使已过的事重新出现"原文作" 神寻回已过的事"）。
16 我在日光之下又看见： 审判的地方有奸恶， 维护公义的地方也有奸恶。
17 我自己心里说： " 神必审判义人和恶人， 因为各样事务、各样工作都有定时。"
18 我自己心里说： "至于世人， 神要试验他们， 使他们看见自己与牲畜无异。
19 因为世人所遭遇的与牲畜所遭遇的， 都是一样： 这个怎样死， 那个也怎样死， 两者的气息都是一样， 所以人并不胜于牲畜。一切都是虚空。
20 大家都到一个地方去， 都出于尘土， 也都归回尘土。
21 有谁知道人的灵是往上升， 牲畜的魂（"魂"的原文与"灵"〔3:21〕和"气息"〔3:19〕相同）是下降而入地呢？"
22 因此我看人最好是在自己所作的事上自得其乐， 因为这也是他的分； 谁能使他看见他自己死后的事呢？