| New American Standard Bible 1995 | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven-- | 1There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven: |
| 2A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what 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 tear 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 throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun 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 search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw 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 tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent 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 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 profit is there to the worker from that in which he toils? | 9What does the worker gain from his struggles? |
| 10I have seen the task which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves. | 10I have seen the task that God has given people to keep them occupied. |
| 11He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even 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 nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one's lifetime; | 12I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and enjoy the good life. |
| 13moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor-- 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 everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear 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 is has been already and that which will be has already been, for God seeks what has passed by. | 15Whatever is, has already been, and whatever will be, already is. God repeats what has passed. |
| 16Furthermore, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is wickedness and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness. | 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 to myself, "God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man," for a time for every matter and for every deed is there. | 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 to myself concerning the sons of men, "God has surely tested them in order for them to see that they are but 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 the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As one dies so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no advantage for man over 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 to the same place. All came from the dust and all return to the dust. | 20All are going to the same place; all come from dust, and all return to dust. |
| 21Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth? | 21Who knows if the spirit of people rises upward and the spirit of animals goes downward to the earth? |
| 22I have seen that nothing is better than that man should be happy in his activities, for that is his lot. For who will bring him to see what will occur 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? |
| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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