1There is a set time for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven:
2a time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to pull up what was planted;
3a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to tear down and a time to build up;
4a time to cry and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance;
5a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them; a time to hug and a time to stop hugging;
6a time to search and a time to lose; a time to keep and a time to throw away;
7a time to tear and a time to mend; a time to be silent and a time to speak;
8a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace.
9What does a worker gain from all his hard work?
10I have seen the burden God has given to people to struggle with.
11God has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also put a sense of eternity in their hearts, yet people cannot fully understand the work God has done from beginning to end.
12I know that the best thing for people is to be happy and to do good while they are alive.
13Also, for everyone to eat, drink, and find enjoyment in all their work—this is a gift from God.
14I know that whatever God does will last forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing can be taken away from it. God has done this so that people will fear him.
15What is, has always been; and what is to be, has already been. God brings back what has passed away.
16Moreover, I observed under the sun that in the place where justice should be, wickedness was there; and in the place where righteousness should be, wickedness was there.
17I said to myself, 'God will judge both the righteous and the wicked, for there is a set time for every purpose and every action.'
18I said to myself, 'Regarding people, God tests them so they can see that they are just like animals.'
19For the same thing happens to people and to animals. The same fate awaits them both. As one dies, so does the other. They all have the same breath, and people have no advantage over animals, because everything is meaningless.
20All go to the same place. All come from dust, and all return to dust again.
21Who knows if the spirit of a person goes upward and the spirit of an animal goes downward into the earth?
22So I saw that there is nothing better than for people to enjoy their work, because that is their lot in life. For who can bring them back to see what will happen after they are gone?