Chapter 3

  To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:  

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  A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;  

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

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

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

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  A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;  

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  A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;  

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  A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.  

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  What profit hath he that worketh in that in which he laboreth?  

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  I have seen the labor, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.  

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  He hath made every thing beautiful in its 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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  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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  And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labor, it is the gift of God.  

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  I know that, whatever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be added to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.  

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  That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.  

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  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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  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.  

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  I said in my heart concerning the state of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.  

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  For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yes, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no pre-eminence above a beast: for all is vanity.  

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

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  Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?  

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  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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