Ecclesiastes 3

1 Every thynge hath a tyme, yea all that is vnder the heauen, hath his conuenient season. 2 Their is a tyme to be borne, & a tyme to dye. Ther is tyme to plant, and a time to plucke vp the thing, that is planted. 3 A tyme to slay, and a tyme to make whole. A time to breake down, & a time to bild vp. 4 A time to wepe, and a time to laugh: A time to mourne, and a tyme to daunce: 5 A time to cast away stones, and a tyme to gather stones together: A tyme to enbrace, and a tyme to refrayne from enbrasyng. 6 A time to win, and a tyme to lose: A time to spare, and a tyme to spend: 7 A time to cut in peces, and a time to sowe together: A time to kepe silence, and a time to speake: 8 A tyme to loue, and a tyme to hate: A tyme of war, and time of peace: 9 What hath a man els ('fet doth any thinge) but werines & labour? 10 For as touchyng the trauayle and carefulnes which God hath geuen vnto men, I se 'fet he hath geuen it them, to be exercised in it. 11 Al this hath he ordeyned maruelous goodly: to euery thing his due tyme He hath planted ignorance also in the hertes of men, 'fet thei shuld not find out 'fee ground of his workes, whiche he doth from 'fee beginning to the end. 12 So I perceiued, 'fet in these thinges their is nothinge better for a man, then to be mery and to do wel so long as he liueth. 13 For al 'fet a man eateth & drinketh, yea whatsoeuer a man enioyeth of al his labour, the same is a gyfte of God. 14 I considered also that whatsoeuer God doth, it continueth for euer, & 'fet no thing can be put vnto it nor taken from it: & 'fet god doth it to the intent, that men shuld feare him. 15 The thing 'fet hath bene, is now: & 'fet thing that is for to come, hath bene afore time, for God restoreth agayne the thynge that was paste. 16 Moreouer, I saw vnder the sunne vngodlyenesse in the steade of iudgemente, and iniquitye in steade of ryghtuousnesse. 17 Then thought I in my mind: God shal separat the rightuous from 'fee vngodly, & then shalbe 'fet time and iudgment of al councels and worckes. 18 I comened with mine own hert also concerning the children of men how God hath chosen them & yet letteth them apeare: as though they were beastes: 19 for it hapeneth vnto men as it doth vnto beastes, & as the one dieth, so dyeth the other: yea, thei haue both one maner of byrth so that (in this) a man hathe no preemynence aboue a beast, but al are subdued vnto vanitie. 20 They go all vnto one place, for as they be all of dust, so shal they all turne vnto dust agayne. 21 Who knoweth the sprete of man that goeth vpwarde, & the breath of the beast that goeth doune into the earth? 22 Wherefore I perceyue, that there is nothing better for a man, then to be ioyfull in his labour, for that is hys porcion. But who will bring him to se the thing that shall come after hym?