Ecclesiastes, the Preacher

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- Kapitel 3 -

For everything there is a time

All things have their time, and all things under heaven continue during their interval.

A time to be born, and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to pull up what was planted.(a)

A time to kill, and a time to heal. A time to tear down, and a time to build up.(b)

A time to weep, and a time to laugh. A time to mourn, and a time to dance.

A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather. A time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.

A time to gain, 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 be silent, and a time to speak.

A time of love, and a time of hatred. A time of war, and a time of peace.

God's works are eternal

What more does a man have from his labor?

I have seen the affliction that God has given to the sons of men, in order that they may be occupied by it.

He has made all things good in their time, and he has handed over the world to their disputes, so that man may not discover the work which God made from the beginning, even until the end.

And I realize that there is nothing better than to rejoice, and to do well in this life.

For this is a gift from God: when each man eats and drinks, and sees the good results of his labor.

I have learned that all the works which God has made continue on, in perpetuity. We are not able to add anything, nor to take anything away, from those things which God has made in order that he may be feared.

What has been made, the same continues. What is in the future, has already existed. And God restores what has passed away.

From dust to dust

I saw under the sun: instead of judgment, impiety, and instead of justice, iniquity.

And I said in my heart: “God will judge the just and the impious, and then the time for each matter shall be.”

I said in my heart, about the sons of men, that God would test them, and reveal them to be like wild animals.

For this reason, the passing away of man and of beasts is one, and the condition of both is equal. For as a man dies, so also do they die. All things breathe similarly, and man has nothing more than beast; for all these are subject to vanity.(c)

And all things continue on to one place; for from the earth they were made, and unto the earth they shall return together.

Who knows if the spirit of the sons of Adam ascend upward, and if the spirit of the beasts descend downward?(d)

And I have discovered nothing to be better than for a man to rejoice in his work: for this is his portion. And who shall add to him, so that he may know the things that will occur after him?

Fußnoten

(a)3:2 The pulling up of what was planted is not so much harvesting, as it is rooting out or removing the entire plant, as one might do for weeds or for plants that are no longer useful.(Conte)

(b)3:3 Literally: ‘a time to be killing and a time to be healing.’ The verb ‘occidendi’ is a future passive participle, like the other verbs in this passage.(Conte)

(d)3:21 Who knows, etc:Viz., experimentally: since no one in this life can see a spirit. But as to the spirit of the beasts, which is merely animal, and become extinct by the death of the beast, who can tell the manner it acts so as to give life and motion, and by death to descend downward, that is, to be no more?(Challoner)

For everything there is a time

For everything there is a season, and a time for every 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 tear, 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.

God's works are eternal

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

From dust to dust

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 purpose and for every work.”

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

For 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.

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

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

Therefore 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?