For everything there is a season, and a time for every {Or, matter}purpose under 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 for war, and a time for peace.
What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboreth?
I have seen the travail which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.
He hath made everything beautiful in its time: also he hath set {Or, the world}eternity in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end.
I know that there is nothing better for them, than to rejoice, and {Or, to get good}to do good so long as they live.
And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor, is the gift of God.
I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it; and God hath done it, that men should fear before him.
{Or, That which hath been is now}That which is hath been long ago; and that which is to be hath long ago been: and God seeketh again that which is {Hebrew: driven away.}passed away.
And moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.
I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every {Or, matter}purpose and for every work.
{Or, I said in my heart concerning the sons of men, It is God &c.}I said in my heart, It is because of the sons of men, that God may prove them, and that they may see that they themselves are but as beasts.
For 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 {Or, spirit}breath; and man hath no preeminence above the beasts: for all is vanity.
All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
Who knoweth the spirit {Hebrew: of the sons of men.}of man, {Or, that goeth}whether it goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast, {Or, that goeth}whether it goeth downward to the earth?
Wherefore I saw that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him back to see what shall be after him?
Querverweise zu Prediger 3,1 Pred 3,1
I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every {Or, matter}purpose and for every work.
And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven: it is a sore travail that God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.
In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yea, God hath made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything that shall be after him.
I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet {Or, holding its course}guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven {Hebrew: the number of days of their life.}all the days of their life.
Whoso keepeth the commandment shall know no evil thing; and a wise man's heart discerneth time and judgment:
So I hated life, because the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and a striving after wind.
for to every {Or, matter}purpose there is a time and judgment; because the {Or, evil}misery of man is great upon him:
And he said unto him, {Or, My heart went not from me, when &c.}Went not my heart with thee, when the man turned from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards and vineyards, and sheep and oxen, and men-servants and maid-servants?
And when he was in distress, he besought Jehovah his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.
A man hath joy in the answer of his mouth;And a word in due season, how good is it!
And in the morning, It will be foul weather to-day: for the heaven is red and lowering. Ye know how to discern the face of the heaven; but ye cannot discern the signs of the times.