Ecclesiastes 3:4

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
a time to weep and a time to laugh;a time to mourn and a time to dance;

Hebrew Names Version
A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance;

King James Version
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

English Standard Version
a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

New American Standard Bible
A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.

New Century Version
There is a time to cry and a time to laugh. There is a time to be sad and a time to dance.

Amplified Bible
A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.

World English Bible
A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance;

Geneva Bible (1587)
A time to weepe, and a time to laugh: a time to mourne, and a time to dance.

Legacy Standard Bible
A time to weep and a time to laugh;A time to mourn and a time to dance.

Berean Standard Bible
a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

Contemporary English Version
for crying and laughing, weeping and dancing,

Complete Jewish Bible
a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

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

Easy-to-Read Version
There is a time to cry and a time to laugh. There is a time to be sad and a time to dance with joy.

George Lamsa Translation
A time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance;

Good News Translation
He sets the time for sorrow and the time for joy, the time for mourning and the time for dancing,

Lexham English Bible
a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance;

Literal Translation
a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
A tyme to wepe, and a tyme to laugh: A tyme to mourne, and a tyme to daunse:

American Standard Version
a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

Bible in Basic English
A time for weeping and a time for laughing; a time for sorrow and a time for dancing;

JPS Old Testament (1917)
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; {S}{S}{N}

King James Version (1611)
A time to weepe, and a time to laugh: a time to mourne, and a time to dance.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
A tyme to weepe, and a tyme to laugh: a tyme to mourne, & a tyme to daunce.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to lament, and a time to dance;

English Revised Version
a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Tyme to wepe, and tyme to leiye; tyme to biweile, and tyme to daunse.

Update Bible Version
a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

Webster's Bible Translation
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

New English Translation
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.

New King James Version
A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance;

New Living Translation
A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.

New Life Bible
There is a time to cry, and a time to laugh; a time to have sorrow, and a time to dance.

New Revised Standard
a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
A time to weep, and a time to laugh, - A time to wail, and a time to dance for joy;

Douay-Rheims Bible
A time to weep, and a time to laugh. A time to mourn, and a time to dance.

Revised Standard Version
a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

Young's Literal Translation
A time to weep, And a time to laugh. A time to mourn, And a time to skip.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.

Contextual Overview

¹ There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth: ²A right time for birth and another for death, A right time to plant and another to reap, A right time to kill and another to heal, A right time to destroy and another to construct, A right time to cry and another to laugh, A right time to lament and another to cheer, A right time to make love and another to abstain, A right time to embrace and another to part, A right time to search and another to count your losses, A right time to hold on and another to let go, A right time to rip out and another to mend, A right time to shut up and another to speak up, A right time to love and another to hate, A right time to wage war and another to make peace. ⁹But in the end, does it really make a difference what anyone does? I've had a good look at what God has given us to do—busywork, mostly. True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in its time—but he's left us in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to, whether he's coming or going. I've decided that there's nothing better to do than go ahead and have a good time and get the most we can out of life. That's it—eat, drink, and make the most of your job. It's God's gift.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

time to weep: Nehemiah 8:9-12, Nehemiah 9:1-38, Psalms 30:5, Psalms 126:1, Psalms 126:2, Psalms 126:5, Psalms 126:6, Isaiah 22:12, Isaiah 22:13, Matthew 9:15, Matthew 11:17, John 16:20-22, Romans 12:15, 2 Corinthians 7:10, James 4:9

a time to laugh: Genesis 21:6, Luke 1:13, Luke 1:14, Luke 1:58, Luke 6:21-25

to dance: Exodus 15:20, 2 Samuel 6:16

Reciprocal: Judges 21:21 - dance 1 Chronicles 15:29 - dancing Job 30:31 - General Psalms 30:11 - dancing Psalms 137:4 - How shall Proverbs 25:20 - so Ecclesiastes 7:14 - the day Song of Solomon 2:11 - General Ezekiel 21:10 - should Zechariah 7:3 - Should Luke 15:25 - he John 20:13 - why 1 Corinthians 7:30 - that weep

Cross-References

Genesis 3:13
"The serpent seduced me," she said, "and I ate."

2 Kings 1:6
They told him, "A man met us and said, ‘Turn around and go back to the king who sent you; tell him, God 's message: Is it because there's no God in Israel that you're running off to consult Baal-Zebub god of Ekron? You needn't bother. You're not going to get out of that bed you're in—you're as good as dead already.'"

2 Kings 1:16
Elijah told him, " God 's word: Because you sent messengers to consult Baal-Zebub the god of Ekron, as if there were no God in Israel to whom you could pray, you'll never get out of that bed alive—already you're as good as dead."

2 Kings 8:10
Elisha answered, "Go and tell him, ‘Don't worry; you'll live.' The fact is, though— God showed me—that he's doomed to die." Elisha then stared hard at Hazael, reading his heart. Hazael felt exposed and dropped his eyes. Then the Holy Man wept.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

A time to weep, and a time to laugh,.... There is a time for these things, as it goes ill or well with persons, as to their health, estate, or friends; and as it goes ill or well with kingdoms and states. The Jews wept when they were in Babylon, and their mouths were filled with laughter when their captivity was returned,

Psalms 137:1; and as it goes ill or well with the church of Christ, when there are corruptions in doctrine and worship, a neglect of ordinances, declensions in faith and practice, few instances of conversion, and there are divisions and contentions, it is a time for the mourners in Zion to weep but when God creates Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy, or makes her an eternal excellency, and the praise of the whole earth, then it is a time to rejoice and be glad, Isaiah 61:3; and as it is, with believers, when Christ is withdrawn from them, it is a time to lament, but, when the bridegroom is with them, it is a time of joy; when it is a night of darkness and desertion, weeping endures, but when the morning comes, the day breaks, and the sun of righteousness arises, joy comes with it, Matthew 9:15

John 16:19. Now in the present state is the saints' weeping time; in the time to come they will laugh, or be filled with joy unspeakable and full of glory, Luke 6:21;

a time to mourn, and a time to dance; to mourn at funerals, and to dance at festivals; in a spiritual sense, God sometimes turns the mourning of his people into dancing, or joy, which that is expressive of; see Psalms 30:11.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ecclesiastes 3:4. A time to weep, - laugh, - mourn, - dance —

_________________ "When private griefs affect

The heart, our tears with decent sorrow flow;

Nor less becoming, when the public mourns,

To vent the deepest sighs. But all around

When things a smiling aspect bear, our souls

May well exult; 'tis then a time for joy."