Back to BooksSimple English

Ecclesiastes

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

Chapter 3

Back to Chapters

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

Geneva: To all things there is an appointed time, and a time to euery purpose vnder the heauen.

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

Geneva: A time to bee borne, and a time to die: a time to plant, and a time to plucke vp that which is planted.

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

Geneva: A time to slay, and a time to heale: a time to breake downe, and a time to builde.

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

Geneva: A time to weepe, and a time to laugh: a time to mourne, and a time to dance.

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

Geneva: A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones: a time to embrace, and a time to be farre from embracing.

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

Geneva: A time to seeke, and a time to lose: a time to keepe, and a time to cast away.

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

Geneva: A time to rent, and a time to sowe: a time to keepe silence, and a time to speake.

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

Geneva: A time to loue, and a time to hate: a time of warre, and a time of peace.

KJV: What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?

Geneva: What profite hath hee that worketh of the thing wherein he trauaileth?

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

Geneva: I haue seene the trauaile that God hath giuen to ye sonnes of men to humble them thereby.

KJV: 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.

Geneva: He hath made euery thing beautifull in his time: also he hath set the worlde in their heart, yet can not man finde out the worke that God hath wrought fro the beginning euen to the end.

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

Geneva: I know that there is nothing good in them, but to reioyce, and to doe good in his life.

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

Geneva: And also that euery man eateth and drinketh, and seeth the commoditie of all his labour. This is the gift of God.

KJV: 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.

Geneva: I knowe that whatsoeuer God shall doe, it shalbe for euer: to it can no man adde, and from it can none diminish: for God hath done it, that they should feare before him.

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

Geneva: What is that that hath bene? That is nowe: and that that shalbe, hath now bene: for God requireth that which is past.

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

Geneva: And moreouer I haue seene vnder the sunne the place of iudgement, where was wickednesse, and the place of iustice where was iniquitie.

KJV: 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.

Geneva: I thought in mine heart, God wil iudge the iust and the wicked: for time is there for euery purpose and for euery worke.

KJV: 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.

Geneva: I considered in mine heart the state of the children of men that God had purged them: yet to see to, they are in themselues as beastes.

KJV: 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.

Geneva: For the condition of the children of men, and the condition of beasts are euen as one condition vnto them. As the one dyeth, so dyeth the other: for they haue all one breath, and there is no excellency of man aboue ye beast: for all is vanitie.

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

Geneva: All goe to one place, & all was of the dust, and all shall returne to the dust.

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

Geneva: Who knoweth whether the spirit of man ascend vpward, and the spirit of the beast descend downeward to the earth?

KJV: 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?

Geneva: Therefore I see that there is nothing better then that a man shoulde reioyce in his affaires, because that is his portion. For who shal bring him to see what shalbe after him?

read summary