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Ecclesiastes

Questions the meaning of life and the value of worldly pursuits, concluding that fearing God is important.

Chapter 3

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1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

*There is a right time for everything, and a purpose for each thing under the sky.

2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

*There is a time for birth and a time for death, as well as a time to grow plants and a time to remove them.

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

*There is a right moment for destroying and a right moment for mending; a right moment for tearing down and a right moment for constructing.

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

*There is a time for sadness and crying, and a time for happiness and laughter. There is also a time for feeling sorrowful and a time for dancing joyfully.

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

*There is a right time for getting rid of rocks and a right time for collecting them. There is also a right time for hugging and a right time for not hugging.

6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

*There is a right moment for gaining and letting go, as well as for keeping and discarding things.

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

*There is a right moment for tearing and a right moment for mending. There is also a right moment for being quiet and a right moment for speaking up.

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

*There is a right time for loving and a right time for disliking, as well as times for fighting and times for being at peace.

9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?

*What good does it bring to someone who works hard at what they do?

10 I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

*I have witnessed the hard work that God has given to people to do throughout their lives.

11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

*He has created everything beautiful at the right time. He has placed the world in people's hearts, making it impossible for anyone to understand the work God does from the start to the finish.

12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.

*I understand that they aren't good, but a person can be happy and do nice things in their life.

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

*And similarly, people should eat, drink, and enjoy the benefits of their work; this comes from God's generosity.

14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

*I understand that whatever God does will last forever; nothing can be added or taken away from it. God does this so that people will be afraid of him.

15 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.

*What has happened is now; what will happen has already happened; and God wants what's already happened.

16 And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.

*I also noticed that, under the sun, the place where judgments happen has wickedness, while the place where things are fair has injustice.

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

*I thought to myself, God will judge good and bad people because there's a proper time for everything and all kinds of actions.

18 I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

*I thought to myself about people's possessions, so God could show their true nature, and they would realize they are just like animals.

19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.

*Whatever happens to people also happens to animals. They both have the same breath and die in the same way. This means that humans are not better than animals because everything is meaningless.

20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

*Everyone goes to the same destination; everyone is made of dirt, and everyone becomes dirt again.

21 Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?

*Who knows what the human spirit does that goes up, and what the animal spirit does that goes down to the ground?

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

*Because I understand that the best thing is for someone to be happy with their own actions, as that is their share. No one can show them what will happen after they're gone.

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* work in progress, there will be mistakes