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？

1 To everything -- a season, and a time to every delight under the heavens:2 A time to bring forth, And a time to die. A time to plant, And a time to eradicate the planted.3 A time to slay, 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 skip.5 A time to cast away stones, And a time to heap up stones. A time to embrace, And a time to be far from embracing.6 A time to seek, And a time to destroy. 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.8 A time to love, And a time to hate. A time of war, And a time of peace.9 What advantage hath the doer in that which he is labouring at?10 I have seen the travail that God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.11 The whole He hath made beautiful in its season; also, that knowledge He hath put in their heart without which man findeth not out the work that God hath done from the beginning even unto the end.12 I have known that there is no good for them except to rejoice and to do good during their life,13 yea, even every man who eateth and hath drunk and seen good by all his labour, it [is] a gift of God.14 I have known that all that God doth is to the age, to it nothing is to be added, and from it nothing is to be withdrawn; and God hath wrought that they do fear before Him.15 What is that which hath been? already it is, and that which [is] to be hath already been, and God requireth that which is pursued.16 And again, I have seen under the sun the place of judgment -- there [is] the wicked; and the place of righteousness -- there [is] the wicked.17 I said in my heart, `The righteous and the wicked doth God judge, for a time [is] to every matter and for every work there.`18 I said in my heart concerning the matter of the sons of man that God might cleanse them, so as to see that they themselves [are] beasts.19 For an event [is to] the sons of man, and an event [is to] the beasts, even one event [is] to them; as the death of this, so [is] the death of that; and one spirit [is] to all, and the advantage of man above the beast is nothing, for the whole [is] vanity.20 The whole are going unto one place, the whole have been from the dust, and the whole are turning back unto the dust.21 Who knoweth the spirit of the sons of man that is going up on high, and the spirit of the beast that is going down below to the earth?22 And I have seen that there is nothing better than that man rejoice in his works, for it [is] his portion; for who doth bring him in to look on that which is after him?