Read the Bible

¹ Euery thyng hath a tyme, yea all that is vnder the heaue hath his conuenient season.² There is a tyme to be borne, and a tyme to dye: there is a tyme to plant, and a tyme to plucke vp the thyng that is planted.³ A tyme to slay, and a tyme to make whole: a tyme to breake downe, and a tyme to builde vp.⁴ A tyme to weepe, and a tyme to laugh: a tyme to mourne, & a tyme to daunce.⁵ A tyme to cast away stones, and a tyme to gather stones together: A tyme to imbrace, and a tyme to refrayne from imbracyng.⁶ A tyme to wynne, and a tyme to lose: A tyme to spare, and a tyme to spende.⁷ A tyme to cut in peeces, and a tyme to sowe together: A tyme to kepe scilence, and a tyme to speake.⁸ A tyme to loue, and a tyme to hate: A tyme of warre, and a tyme of peace.⁹ What hath a man els that doth any thyng, but weerinesse and labour?¹⁰ For as touchyng the trauayle and carefulnesse which God hath geuen vnto men, I see that he hath geuen it them to be exercised in it.

¹¹ All this hath he ordeyned marueilous goodly, to euery thyng his due tyme: He hath planted ignoraunce also in the heartes of men, that they shoulde not comprehende the ground of his workes which he doth from the begynnyng to the ende.¹² So I perceaued that in those thinges there is nothyng better for a man then to be mery, and to do well as long as he lyueth.¹³ For all that a man eateth & drynketh, yea whatsoeuer a man enioyeth of all his labour: that same is a gyft of God.¹⁴ I considered also that whatsoeuer God doth, it continueth for euer: And that nothyng can be put vnto it, nor taken from it, & that God doth it to the intent that men shoulde feare hym.¹⁵ The thyng that hath ben, is nowe: and the thyng that is for to come, hath ben afore time: for God restoreth againe the thyng that was past.

¹⁶ Moreouer, I sawe vnder the sunne vngodlynes in the steade of iudgement, & iniquitie in steade of righteousnesse.¹⁷ Then thought I in my mynde, God shall separate the ryghteous from the vngodly: and then shalbe the tyme and iudgement of all counsayles & workes.¹⁸ I communed with myne owne heart also concernyng the children of men, howe God hath chosen them, and yet letteth them appeare as though they were beastes.¹⁹ For it happeneth vnto men as it doth vnto beastes, euen one condition vnto them both: as the one dyeth so dyeth the other, yea they haue both one maner of breath: so that in this a man hath no preeminence aboue a beast, but are all subdued vnto vanitie.²⁰ They go all vnto one place: for as they be all of dust, so shall they all turne vnto dust agayne.²¹ Who knoweth the spirite of man that goeth vpwarde, & the breath of the beast that goeth downe to the earth?²² Wherfore I perceaue that there is nothyng better for a man then to be ioyfull in his labour, for that is his portion: But who wyll bryng hym to see the thyng that shall come after hym?