Ecclesiastes 3 · קהלת

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

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

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

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

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

a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

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

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

What profit has the worker from his toil?

I have seen the task, which God has given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

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

I know that there is nothing better for them, than to rejoice, and to do good in his life:

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

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.

That which is, already has been; and that which is to be has already been; and only God can find the fleeting moment.

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

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.

I said in my heart, after the speech of the sons of men, that God has chosen them out, but only to see that they themselves are but as beasts;

that that which befalls the sons of men befalls the beasts; even one thing befalls them both: as the one dies, so the other dies; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man has no preeminence over a beast: for all is vanity.

All go to one place; all are of the dust, and all return to dust.

Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upwards, and the spirit of the beast goes downwards to the earth?

So I saw that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his work; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?