Ecclesiastes 3

Ecclesiastes · Chapter 3

Ecclesiastes 3:5

1To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the 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 get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;7A time to rend, 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 of war, and a time of peace.9What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?10I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.11He 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.12I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.13And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.14I 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.15That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.16And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.17I 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.18I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.19For 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.20All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.21Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?22Wherefore 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?

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
5A 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 cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
a timeעֵ֚ת'etH6256
time

עֵת (et) 1) time 1a) time (of an event) 1b) time (usual) 1c) experiences, fortunes 1d) occurrence, occasion

to throw awayלְהַשְׁלִ֣יךְle-hash-LIKHH7993
to throw

שָׁלַךְ (sha.lakh) 1) to throw, cast, hurl, fling 1a) (Hiphil) 1a1) to throw, cast, throw away, cast off, shed, cast down 1a2) to cast (lots) (fig) 1b) (Hophal) 1b1) to be thrown, be cast 1b2) to be cast forth or out 1b3) to be cast down 1b4) to be cast (metaph)

stonesאֲבָנִ֔ים'a-va-NIMH0068G
stone

אֶ֫בֶן (e.ven) : stone 1) stone (large or small) 1a) common stone (in natural state) 1b) stone, as material 1b1) of tablets 1b2) marble, hewn stones 1c) precious stones, stones of fire 1d) stones containing metal (ore), tool for work or weapon 1e) weight 1f) plummet (stones of destruction) also made of metal 1g) stonelike objects, eg hailstones, stony heart, ice 1h) sacred object, as memorial Samuel set up to mark where God helped Israel to defeat the Philistines 1i) (simile) 1i1) sinking in water, motionlessness 1i2) strength, firmness, solidity 1i3) commonness 1j) (metaph) 1j1) petrified with terror …

and a timeוְעֵ֖תve-'ETH6256
time

עֵת (et) 1) time 1a) time (of an event) 1b) time (usual) 1c) experiences, fortunes 1d) occurrence, occasion

to gatherכְּנ֣וֹסke-NOSH3664
to gather

כָּנַס (ka.nas) 1) to gather, collect, wrap 1a) (Qal) to gather 1b) (Piel) to gather 1c) (Hithpael) to gather together, wrap oneself up Aramaic equivalent: ka.nash (כְּנַשׁ "to gather" H3673)

stonesאֲבָנִ֑ים'a-va-NIMH0068G
stone

אֶ֫בֶן (e.ven) : stone 1) stone (large or small) 1a) common stone (in natural state) 1b) stone, as material 1b1) of tablets 1b2) marble, hewn stones 1c) precious stones, stones of fire 1d) stones containing metal (ore), tool for work or weapon 1e) weight 1f) plummet (stones of destruction) also made of metal 1g) stonelike objects, eg hailstones, stony heart, ice 1h) sacred object, as memorial Samuel set up to mark where God helped Israel to defeat the Philistines 1i) (simile) 1i1) sinking in water, motionlessness 1i2) strength, firmness, solidity 1i3) commonness 1j) (metaph) 1j1) petrified with terror …

a timeעֵ֣ת'etH6256
time

עֵת (et) 1) time 1a) time (of an event) 1b) time (usual) 1c) experiences, fortunes 1d) occurrence, occasion

to embraceלַחֲב֔וֹקla-cha-VOKH2263
to embrace

חָבַק (cha.vaq) 1) to embrace, clasp 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to embrace 1a2) to fold one's hands in idleness (fig.) 1b) (Piel) to embrace

and a timeוְעֵ֖תve-'ETH6256
time

עֵת (et) 1) time 1a) time (of an event) 1b) time (usual) 1c) experiences, fortunes 1d) occurrence, occasion

to be farלִרְחֹ֥קlir-CHOKH7368
to remove

רָחַק (ra.chaq) v 1) to be or become far, be or become distant, be removed, go far away 1a) (Qal) to be far, be distant 1b) (Piel) to send far away, extend 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to make or exhibit distance, be gone far 1c2) to remove, put far away 2) (Niphal) loose v inf (as adv) 3) at a distance

from embracingמֵחַבֵּֽק׃me-cha-BEKH2263
to embrace

חָבַק (cha.vaq) 1) to embrace, clasp 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to embrace 1a2) to fold one's hands in idleness (fig.) 1b) (Piel) to embrace

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.