New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Ecclesiastes 3
2
There is a time to be born. And there's a time to die. There is a time to plant. And there's a time to pull up what is planted.
Reference
3
There is a time to kill. And there's a time to heal. There is a time to tear down. And there's a time to build up.
Reference
4
There is a time to cry. And there's a time to laugh. There is a time to be sad. And there's a time to dance.
Reference
5
There is a time to scatter stones. And there's a time to gather them. There is a time to hug. And there's a time not to hug.
Reference
6
There is a time to search. And there's a time to stop searching. There is a time to keep. And there's a time to throw away.
Reference
7
There is a time to tear. And there's a time to mend. There is a time to be silent. And there's a time to speak.
Reference
8
There is a time to love. And there's a time to hate. There is a time for war. And there's a time for peace.
Reference
11
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also given men a sense of what he's been doing down through the ages. But they can't completely figure out what he's done from the beginning to the end.
Reference
Creation
Genesis 1:31
Psalm 104:24
Ecclesiastes 7:29
Parallel theme
Job 5:9
Mark 7:37
References God
Romans 11:33
Job 11:7
Ecclesiastes 8:17
Deuteronomy 32:4
Romans 1:28
12
They should be happy and do good while they live. I know there's nothing better for them to do than that.
Reference
13
Everyone should eat and drink. People should be satisfied with all of their hard work. That is God's gift to them.
Reference
14
I know that everything God does will last forever. Nothing can be added to it. And nothing can be taken from it. God does that so men will have respect for him.
Reference
Parallel theme
James 1:17
Psalm 33:11
Romans 11:36
Proverbs 30:6
Proverbs 21:30
References God
Acts 5:39
Titus 1:2
15
Everything that now exists has already been. And what is coming has existed before. God will judge those who treat others badly.
Reference
Parallel theme
Ecclesiastes 6:10
16
Here's something else I saw on earth. Where people should be treated right, they are treated wrong. Where people should be treated fairly, they are treated unfairly.
Reference
17
I said to myself, "God will judge godly and sinful people alike. He has a time for every act. He has a time for everything that is done."
Reference
Judgment
2 Corinthians 5:10
Ecclesiastes 12:14
Ecclesiastes 11:9
Parallel theme
Ecclesiastes 3:1
Matthew 16:27
Righteousness
Psalm 98:9
18
I also thought, "God puts human beings to the test. Then they can see they are just like animals.
Reference
19
What happens to animals happens to people too. Death waits for people and animals alike. People die, just as animals do. All of them have the same breath. People don't have any advantage over animals. Nothing has any meaning.
Reference
20
"People and animals go to the same place. All of them come from dust. And all of them return to dust.
Reference
21
Who can know whether the spirit of a man goes up? Who can tell whether the spirit of an animal goes down into the earth?"
Reference
Summary of Ecclesiastes 3
Ecclesiastes 3 presents human life as a series of changing seasons, each with its own appropriate moment, showing that people experience beginnings and endings, happiness and sorrow, work and rest, conflict and peace, often without being able to control when one season gives way to another.
The famous sequence of contrasting times emphasizes that life is not a single, predictable experience but a changing movement in which circumstances constantly shift, and wisdom requires recognizing that some moments call for action while others call for patience, silence, mourning, rebuilding, letting go, or celebration.
The Teacher then looks beyond individual experiences and considers God's larger order, concluding that God has made everything appropriate in its time and has placed within human beings a desire for something eternal, while at the same time limiting their ability to understand the complete purpose and direction of His work.
This creates an important tension: people sense that life should have a greater meaning, yet they cannot see the entire picture, so they must live faithfully within the portion of time and understanding available to them.
The chapter also acknowledges that life is not always fair, because places that should contain justice can instead contain wrongdoing, but the Teacher maintains that injustice is not the final word because God ultimately sees and judges what human beings cannot always correct.
Human beings are also reminded of their mortality, since both people and animals eventually die and return to the dust, reinforcing the limits of human power and reminding the reader that no amount of achievement can make earthly life permanent.
Yet Ecclesiastes 3 does not end in despair; instead, the Teacher reaches a practical conclusion that people should enjoy their work, appreciate food and drink, do good, and receive the ordinary experiences of life as gifts from God, because these simple blessings are available in the present even when the future remains hidden.
The chapter therefore teaches that wisdom is not about controlling every season of life or understanding everything God is doing, but about accepting the changing nature of existence, trusting God's larger order, recognizing human limitations, responding appropriately to each season, and gratefully receiving the good that is available today.
Its overall message is that life has many seasons, and although people cannot determine all of them or see where they ultimately lead, they can live meaningfully by accepting their limitations, respecting God's timing, doing what is right, and appreciating the moments and responsibilities placed before them.
The famous sequence of contrasting times emphasizes that life is not a single, predictable experience but a changing movement in which circumstances constantly shift, and wisdom requires recognizing that some moments call for action while others call for patience, silence, mourning, rebuilding, letting go, or celebration.
The Teacher then looks beyond individual experiences and considers God's larger order, concluding that God has made everything appropriate in its time and has placed within human beings a desire for something eternal, while at the same time limiting their ability to understand the complete purpose and direction of His work.
This creates an important tension: people sense that life should have a greater meaning, yet they cannot see the entire picture, so they must live faithfully within the portion of time and understanding available to them.
The chapter also acknowledges that life is not always fair, because places that should contain justice can instead contain wrongdoing, but the Teacher maintains that injustice is not the final word because God ultimately sees and judges what human beings cannot always correct.
Human beings are also reminded of their mortality, since both people and animals eventually die and return to the dust, reinforcing the limits of human power and reminding the reader that no amount of achievement can make earthly life permanent.
Yet Ecclesiastes 3 does not end in despair; instead, the Teacher reaches a practical conclusion that people should enjoy their work, appreciate food and drink, do good, and receive the ordinary experiences of life as gifts from God, because these simple blessings are available in the present even when the future remains hidden.
The chapter therefore teaches that wisdom is not about controlling every season of life or understanding everything God is doing, but about accepting the changing nature of existence, trusting God's larger order, recognizing human limitations, responding appropriately to each season, and gratefully receiving the good that is available today.
Its overall message is that life has many seasons, and although people cannot determine all of them or see where they ultimately lead, they can live meaningfully by accepting their limitations, respecting God's timing, doing what is right, and appreciating the moments and responsibilities placed before them.