Ecclesiastes 3:4
New International Version
a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

New Living Translation
A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.

English Standard Version
a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

Berean Standard Bible
a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

King James Bible
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

New King James Version
A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance;

New American Standard Bible
A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.

NASB 1995
A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.

NASB 1977
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance.

Legacy Standard Bible
A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.

Amplified Bible
A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.

Christian Standard Bible
a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance;

Holman Christian Standard Bible
a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance;

American Standard Version
a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

Contemporary English Version
for crying and laughing, weeping and dancing,

English Revised Version
a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
a time to cry and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

Good News Translation
He sets the time for sorrow and the time for joy, the time for mourning and the time for dancing,

International Standard Version
a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

Majority Standard Bible
a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

NET Bible
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.

New Heart English Bible
a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

Webster's Bible Translation
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

World English Bible
a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
A time to weep, "" And a time to laugh. A time to mourn, "" And a time to skip.

Young's Literal Translation
A time to weep, And a time to laugh. A time to mourn, And a time to skip.

Smith's Literal Translation
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
A time to weep, and a time to laugh. A time to mourn, and a time to dance.

Catholic Public Domain Version
A time to weep, and a time to laugh. A time to mourn, and a time to dance.

New American Bible
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.

New Revised Standard Version
a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
A time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to dance and a time to mourn
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to lament, and a time to dance;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
To Everything There is a Season
3a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build, 4a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5a time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,…

Cross References
Romans 12:15
Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.

Psalm 30:11
You turned my mourning into dancing; You peeled off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

John 16:20
Truly, truly, I tell you, you will weep and wail while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.

James 5:13
Is any one of you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises.

Isaiah 61:3
to console the mourners in Zion—to give them a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and a garment of praise for a spirit of despair. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

Matthew 5:4
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Luke 6:21
Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

Jeremiah 31:13
Then the maidens will rejoice with dancing, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into joy, and give them comfort and joy for their sorrow.

2 Corinthians 6:10
sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

Psalm 126:5-6
Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy. / He who goes out weeping, bearing a trail of seed, will surely return with shouts of joy, carrying sheaves of grain.

Revelation 21:4
‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.”

1 Thessalonians 4:13
Brothers, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who are without hope.

Proverbs 14:13
Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in sorrow.

Isaiah 25:8
He will swallow up death forever. The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from every face and remove the disgrace of His people from the whole earth. For the LORD has spoken.

John 11:33-35
When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. / “Where have you put him?” He asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they answered. / Jesus wept.


Treasury of Scripture

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

time to weep

Nehemiah 8:9-12
And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law…

Nehemiah 9:1
Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them.

Psalm 30:5
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

a time to laugh

Genesis 21:6
And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.

Luke 1:13,14,58
But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John…

Luke 6:21-25
Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh…

to dance

Exodus 15:20
And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.

2 Samuel 6:16
And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.

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Ecclesiastes 3
1. by the necessary change of times, vanity is added to human travail
11. is an excellence in God's works
16. as for man, God shall judge his works hereafter, though here he be like a beast














a time to weep
The Hebrew word for "weep" is "בָּכָה" (bakah), which conveys a deep, often audible expression of sorrow or grief. In the context of Ecclesiastes, this phrase acknowledges the inevitability of sorrow in human life. Weeping is a natural response to loss, pain, or disappointment, and it is a part of the human experience that God has ordained. The Bible often portrays weeping as a precursor to divine comfort, as seen in Psalm 30:5, "weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." This phrase reminds believers that God is present in their sorrow and that weeping is a temporary state that will eventually give way to joy.

and a time to laugh
"Laugh" in Hebrew is "שָׂחַק" (sachaq), which means to laugh, play, or rejoice. This phrase highlights the balance in life between sorrow and joy. Laughter is a gift from God, a reflection of His goodness and the joy that He desires for His creation. It is a reminder that life is not solely about enduring hardship but also about experiencing the joy and blessings that God provides. In a broader biblical context, laughter is often associated with God's deliverance and the fulfillment of His promises, as seen in Genesis 21:6 when Sarah laughs at the birth of Isaac.

a time to mourn
The Hebrew word "סָפַד" (saphad) means to lament or mourn, often in the context of a funeral or a significant loss. Mourning is a profound expression of grief and is an essential part of the healing process. In biblical times, mourning was often accompanied by specific rituals, such as wearing sackcloth or ashes, which signified repentance and humility before God. This phrase acknowledges that mourning is a necessary and God-ordained response to loss, allowing individuals to process their grief and find comfort in God's presence. It also points to the hope of future restoration and comfort, as promised in Revelation 21:4, where God will wipe away every tear.

and a time to dance
"Dance" in Hebrew is "רָקַד" (raqad), which means to leap or skip for joy. Dancing is often associated with celebration and worship in the Bible, as seen in 2 Samuel 6:14, where David dances before the Lord with all his might. This phrase signifies the joy and exuberance that come from experiencing God's blessings and deliverance. It serves as a reminder that life is not only about enduring trials but also about celebrating the victories and joys that God provides. Dancing, in this context, is an expression of gratitude and worship, acknowledging God's goodness and faithfulness.

(4) Mourn.--This is the ordinary word used for noisy funeral lamentations (Jeremiah 4:8; 1Samuel 25:1).

Verse 4. - A time to weep, and a time to laugh, grouped naturally with a time to mourn, and a time to dance. The funeral and the wedding, the hired mourners and the guests at the marriage-feast, are set against one another. The first clause intimates the spontaneous manifestation of the feelings of the heart; the second, their formal expression in the performances at funerals and weddings and on other solemn occasions. The contrast is found in the Lord's allusion to the sulky children in the market-place, who would not join their companions' play: "We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented" (Matthew 11:17). Dancing sometimes accompanied religious sere-monies, as when David brought up the ark (2 Samuel 6:14, 16).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
a time
עֵ֤ת (‘êṯ)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 6256: Time, now, when

to weep
לִבְכּוֹת֙ (liḇ·kō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 1058: To weep, to bemoan

and a time
וְעֵ֣ת (wə·‘êṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular
Strong's 6256: Time, now, when

to laugh,
לִשְׂח֔וֹק (liś·ḥō·wq)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7832: To laugh, to play

a time
עֵ֥ת (‘êṯ)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 6256: Time, now, when

to mourn
סְפ֖וֹד (sə·p̄ō·wḏ)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5594: To tear the hair and beat the breasts, to lament, to wail

and a time
וְעֵ֥ת (wə·‘êṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular
Strong's 6256: Time, now, when

to dance,
רְקֽוֹד׃ (rə·qō·wḏ)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7540: To stamp, to spring about


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OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 3:4 A time to weep and a time (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.)
Ecclesiastes 3:3
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