| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: | 1For everything there is an appointed time, and an appropriate time for every activity on earth: |
| 2a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; | 2A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot what was planted; |
| 3a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; | 3A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; |
| 4a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; | 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; | 5A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; |
| 6a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; | 6A time to search, and a time to give something up as lost; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; |
| 7a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; | 7A time to rip, and a time to sew; a time to keep silent, and a time to speak. |
| 8a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. | 8A time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. |
| 9What gain has the worker from his toil? | 9What benefit can a worker gain from his toil? |
| 10I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. | 10I have observed the burden that God has given to people to keep them occupied. |
| 11He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. | 11God has made everything fit beautifully in its appropriate time, but he has also placed ignorance in the human heart so that people cannot discover what God has ordained, from the beginning to the end of their lives. |
| 12I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; | 12I have concluded that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to enjoy themselves as long as they live, |
| 13also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man. | 13and also that everyone should eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all his toil, for these things are a gift from God. |
| 14I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. | 14I also know that whatever God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken away from it. God has made it this way, so that men will fear him. |
| 15That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away. | 15Whatever exists now has already been, and whatever will be has already been; for God will seek to do again what has occurred in the past. |
| 16Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. | 16I saw something else on earth: In the place of justice, there was wickedness, and in the place of fairness, there was wickedness. |
| 17I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work. | 17I thought to myself, "God will judge both the righteous and the wicked; for there is an appropriate time for every activity, and there is a time of judgment for every deed. |
| 18I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts. | 18I also thought to myself, "It is for the sake of people, so God can clearly show them that they are like animals. |
| 19For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. | 19For the fate of humans and the fate of animals are the same: As one dies, so dies the other; both have the same breath. There is no advantage for humans over animals, for both are fleeting. |
| 20All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. | 20Both go to the same place, both come from the dust, and to dust both return. |
| 21Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? | 21Who really knows if the human spirit ascends upward, and the animal's spirit descends into the earth? |
| 22So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him? | 22So I perceived there is nothing better than for people to enjoy their work, because that is their reward; for who can show them what the future holds? |
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