The Bible — World English Bible

Ecclesiastes 3

In brief

Ecclesiastes 3 opens with the famous poem of the seasons: there is a time to be born and a time to die, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to be silent and a time to speak. The Teacher observes that God makes everything beautiful in its time and has set eternity in the human heart, yet people cannot grasp what God has done from beginning to end. He recommends enjoying God's gifts, and he reflects on injustice, judgment and the fragility of the human condition.

The chapter in 4 parts

  1. v. 1-8A time for everything under heaven
  2. v. 9-15God makes everything beautiful in its time, and eternity is in the heart
  3. v. 16-17Injustice on earth and God's judgment
  4. v. 18-22The human condition and joy as our portion

1For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose 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;

3a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

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;

6a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

9What profit has he who works in that in which he labors?

10I have seen the burden which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

11He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their hearts, yet so that man can’t find out the work that God has done from the beginning even to the end.

12I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and to do good as long as they live.

13Also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor, is the gift of God.

14I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; and God has done it, that men should fear before him.

15That which is has been long ago, and that which is to be has been long ago. God seeks again that which is passed away.

16Moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.

17I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”

18I said in my heart, “As for the sons of men, God tests them, so that they may see that they themselves are like animals.

19For that which happens to the sons of men happens to animals. Even one thing happens to them. As the one dies, so the other dies. Yes, they have all one breath; and man has no advantage over the animals; for all is vanity.

20All go to one place. All are from the dust, and all turn to dust again.

21Who knows the spirit of man, whether it goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, whether it goes downward to the earth?”

22Therefore I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion: for who can bring him to see what will be after him?

Key verses

Verse 1
For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:

Life is made of seasons that we do not all choose. This verse invites us to receive each season, even the hard ones, as part of an order that God holds.

Verse 11
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their hearts, yet so that man can’t find out the work that God has done from the beginning even to the end.

God makes everything beautiful in its time and puts in people a longing for eternity that nothing passing can fill. Yet we never see the whole of his plan.

Verse 12-13
I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and to do good as long as they live. Also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor, is the gift of God.

The Teacher recommends tasting what is good in work, in meals and in everyday life. He sees it as a gift from God, not as a goal in itself.

Verse 14
I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; and God has done it, that men should fear before him.

What God does endures, with nothing to add and nothing to take away. This steadiness leads to the fear of God, that is, a trusting reverence.

Verse 17
I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”

Faced with injustice, the Teacher turns to God, who will judge both the righteous and the wicked. Present injustice does not have the last word.

Test your knowledge

All Bible quizzes →

What the sermons say

Be Patient, God's Plan Takes TimeThe preacher draws on verse 11: between the promise and its fulfillment, the waiting is where God shapes your character. He makes everything beautiful in its time.Read the summary →The Faith That Does Not Let GoThe message quotes verses 1 to 8: there is a time for everything, but never a time to let go. It calls us to hold on, looking to Jesus, in the seasons when we want to give up.Read the summary →Mother's Day: The God Who Sees Your TearsFor mothers who are waiting, verse 1 reminds us that every season has a beginning and an end. The speaker invites them to keep sowing and praying, sure that God sees their tears.Read the summary →"We Want to See Jesus": Three Truths from John 12Facing the regret of time lost before knowing Christ, the message quotes verse 1: there is a time for everything, and God's timing is never late.Read the summary →Isaiah 42: The Servant King Who Won't Crush YouMatt Glock quotes verse 11: the eternity placed in the heart explains the deep longing that Christmas comes to fill, because it fulfills God's promises of a Savior.Read the summary →

Frequently asked questions about Ecclesiastes 3

What does it mean that there is a time for everything in Ecclesiastes?

The Teacher lists the contrasts of life: being born and dying, weeping and laughing, being silent and speaking. He does not say that everything is equal, but that life has seasons and that God holds their unfolding. Each person is invited to discern the season they are in, rather than trying to skip the hard moments.

What does the eternity placed in the human heart mean in verse 11?

Verse 11 says that people carry within them a longing for permanence, meaning and the infinite that passing things cannot satisfy. At the same time, they cannot understand all of God's work. Many Christians see in this a trace of a longing for God himself, though the text does not spell it out.

What is the message of Ecclesiastes 3?

The chapter calls for humility and trust. We do not control the seasons of life, nor do we understand all of God's plan, but he makes everything good in its time. In uncertainty, the Teacher recommends receiving the gifts of daily life with joy and fearing God.

Articles quoting Ecclesiastes 3

← All chapters

World English Bible translation — public domain.