3:1  To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heavens:

3:2  A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

3:3  A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

3:4  A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

3:5  A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

3:6  A time to gain, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away;

3:7  A time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

3:8  A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

3:9  What profit does he have who works in that in which he labors?

3:10  I have seen the task which God has given to the sons of men to be exercised by it.

3:11  He has made everything beautiful in its time; He has also set eternity in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God makes from the beginning to the end.

3:12  I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice and to do good as long as they live.

3:13  And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labor, it is the gift of God.

3:14  I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; and God does it so that men should fear before Him.

3:15  That which has been is now; and that which is to be has already been; and God requires an account of that which is past.

3:16  And again I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.

3:17  I said in my heart, "God shall judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work."

3:18  I said in my heart, "Concerning the matter of the sons of men, may God reveal to them, that they might see, that they themselves are but beasts."

3:19  For that which happens to the sons of men also happens to beasts—even one thing happens to them. As the one dies, so dies the other; yea, they all have one breath; so that a man has no advantage over a beast; for all is vanity.

3:20  All go to one place; all are of the dust, and all return to dust again.

3:21  Who knows the spirit of man whether it goes upward, and the spirit of the beast whether it goes downward to the earth?

3:22  Therefore I perceive that there is nothing better that a man should do than to rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion; for who can bring him to see what shall be after him?