| King James Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: | 1There is an occasion 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 pluck up that which is planted; | 2a time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot; |
| 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 tear down and a time to build; |
| 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 stones and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing; |
| 6A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; | 6a time to search and a time to count as lost; a time to keep and a time to throw away; |
| 7A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; | 7a time to tear and a time to sew; a time to be silent and a time to speak; |
| 8A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. | 8a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace. |
| 9What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth? | 9What does the worker gain from his struggles? |
| 10I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. | 10I have seen the task that God has given people to keep them occupied. |
| 11He 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. | 11He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but man cannot discover the work God has done from beginning to end. |
| 12I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life. | 12I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and enjoy the good life. |
| 13And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God. | 13It is also the gift of God whenever anyone eats, drinks, and enjoys all his efforts. |
| 14I 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. | 14I know that all God does will last forever; there is no adding to it or taking from it. God works so that people will be in awe of Him. |
| 15That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past. | 15Whatever is, has already been, and whatever will be, already is. God repeats what has passed. |
| 16And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there. | 16I also observed under the sun: there is wickedness at the place of judgment and there is wickedness at the place of righteousness. |
| 17I 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. | 17I said to myself, "God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every work." |
| 18I 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. | 18I said to myself, "This happens concerning people, so that God may test them and they may see for themselves that they are like animals." |
| 19For 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. | 19For the fate of people and the fate of animals is the same. As one dies, so dies the other; they all have the same breath. People have no advantage over animals since everything is futile. |
| 20All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. | 20All are going to the same place; all come from dust, and all return to dust. |
| 21Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? | 21Who knows if the spirit of people rises upward and the spirit of animals goes downward to the earth? |
| 22Wherefore 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? | 22I have seen that there is nothing better than for a person to enjoy his activities because that is his reward. For who can enable him to see what will happen after he dies? |
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