| 1 ¶ To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
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| 2 A time to be1 born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
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| 3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
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| 4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
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| 5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from2 embracing;
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| 6 A time to get,3 and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
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| 7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
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| 8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
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| 9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?
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| 10 I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
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| 11 ¶ He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
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| 12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
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| 13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.
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| 14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
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| 15 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.4
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| 16 ¶ And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.
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| 17 I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.
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| 18 I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God5 might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.
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| 19 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 breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.
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| 20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
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| 21 Who knoweth the spirit of man6 that goeth upward,7 and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?
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| 22 Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?
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