Ecclesiastes 3:1–8
There is a time for everything under heaven
Study it word by word1For everything there is an appointed time, and a time for every matter under the heavens:
2a time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted;
3a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to break down and a time to build;
4a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance;
5a time to throw away stones and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace and a time to keep far from embracing;
6a time to seek and a time to lose; a time to keep and a time to throw away;
7a time to tear and a time to sew; a time to keep silent and a time to speak;
8a time to love and a time to hate; a time of war and a time of peace.
In its context
…
9What profit has the one who works in that in which he toils?
10I saw the occupation that Elohim has given to human beings to be occupied with it.
Its words in the original
- זְמָןzeman· set time
An appointed time, a set time.
- עֵתet· time
Time, moment, season; "now".
- חֵפֶץchefets· delight, desire, matter
Delight, pleasure, desire: what pleases someone. It can also be a valuable thing or a matter, an affair.
- שָּׁמָיִםshamayim· heavens, sky
The heavens: what is above, where the clouds, the sun and the stars are seen; also the dwelling of God. In Hebrew it is always plural. With birds, "the sky".
- לֶדֶתledet· bear, father
Give birth, bear children; said of the father, "father" or "beget". In some forms, help at a birth (midwife) or be born.
- מוּתmut· die
Die. In the causative form, kill, put to death. Hebrew can repeat the verb for emphasis ("dying you will die" = "you will surely die").
- טַעַתtaat· plant
Plant; set firmly.
- עֲקוֹרakor· hamstring; uproot
Hamstring: cut the leg tendons of an animal to cripple it. Elsewhere, uproot.
- הֲרוֹגharog· kill
Kill, slay.
- רְפּוֹאrepo· heal
Heal, cure; restore.
- פְרוֹץferots· break out, spread
Break through, break out; spread out in all directions.
- בְנוֹתvenot· build
Build, construct; also rebuild. Figuratively, build up a family (give it children).
- בְכּוֹתvekot· weep
Weep, cry; mourn for someone.
- שְׂחוֹקsechok· laugh, play
Laugh, play, entertain; sometimes mock.
- סְפוֹדsefod· mourn, lament
Mourn, lament: wail over the dead with the customary signs of grief, such as beating the breast.
- רְקוֹדrekod· dance, leap
To leap: to jump, to skip, often for joy.
- הַשְׁלִיךְhashlich· throw
Throw, cast, cast away.
- אֲבָנִיםavanim· stone
Stone; also a weight for scales.
- כְּנוֹסkenos· gather
To gather: to bring people or things together in one place.
- חֲבוֹקchavok· embrace
Embrace.
- רְחֹקrechok· be far
Be far, go far away; in the causative form, remove far away.
- בַקֵּשׁvakesh· seek
Seek, look for; also require, demand an account.
- אַבֵּדabed· perish, be lost
Perish, be ruined, be lost; wander off. In the causative, destroy.
- שְׁמוֹרshemor· keep, guard
Keep: watch over, guard, protect; also keep a command or a covenant, observe.
- קְרוֹעַkeroa· tear
Tear. Tearing one's clothes was the sign of a very great grief.
- תְפּוֹרtepor· sew
Sew.
- חֲשׁוֹתchashot· be silent, be still
Be silent, keep still without doing anything.
- דַבֵּרdaber· speak
Speak, talk, say; also promise or command.
- אֱהֹבehov· love
Love, have affection for someone: a parent for a child, a husband for a wife, a friend for a friend, a person for God; also like, desire.
- שְׂנֹאseno· hate
Hate. In Hebrew it ranges from the hatred of an enemy to simply "loving less". "Those who hate you" are enemies.
- מִלְחָמָהmilchama· war, battle
War, battle.
- שָׁלוֹםshalom· peace, well-being
"Shalom": peace in a wide sense; not only the absence of war, but being whole and well: health, safety, good relations. It is also the Hebrew greeting.