Ecc 3:1-4:3 | ESV | STEP | For everything there is a season , and a time for every matter under heaven :

Ecclesiastes 3

A Time for Everything

1 For everything there is a season, and ^aa time for every matter under heaven:

2 a time to be born, and a time to ^bdie;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to ^cweep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to ^ddance;
5 a time to ^ecast away stones, and a time to ^fgather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to ^grefrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to ^hlose;
a time to keep, and a time to ⁱcast away;
7 a time to ^jtear, and a time to sew;
a time to ^kkeep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to ^lhate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

The God-Given Task

9 What ^mgain has the worker from his toil? 10 I have seen ⁿthe business that ^oGod has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11 He has ^pmade everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot ^qfind out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12 I perceived that there is ^rnothing better for them than to be joyful and to ^sdo good as long as they live; 13 also ^tthat everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is ^uGod’s gift to man.

14 I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; ^vnothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. 15 That which is, ^walready has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God ^xseeks what has been driven away. ^{▼▼Hebrew what has been pursued}

From Dust to Dust

16 Moreover, ^zI saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even ^aathere was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. 17 I said in my heart, ^abGod will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is ^aca time for every matter and for every work. 18 I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but ^adbeasts. 19 ^aeFor what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. ^{▼▼The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)} 20 All go to one place. All are from ^agthe dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows whether ^ahthe spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? 22 So I saw that there is ^ainothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for ^ajthat is his lot. Who can bring him to see ^akwhat will be after him?

Ecclesiastes 4:1-3

Evil Under the Sun

1 ^alAgain I ^amsaw all ^anthe oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had ^aono one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power, and there was no one to comfort them. 2 And I ^apthought the dead who are already dead more fortunate than the living who are still alive. 3 But ^aqbetter than both is he who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.