TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 3

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1A season is set for everything, a time for every experience under heaven:

אלַכֹּל זְמָן וְעֵת לְכָל־חֵפֶץ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם׃

2A time for being born and a time for dying, A time for planting and a time for uprooting the planted;

בעֵת לָלֶדֶת וְעֵת לָמוּת עֵת לָטַעַת וְעֵת לַעֲקוֹר נָטוּעַ׃

3A time for slaying and a time for healing, A time for tearing down and a time for building up;

געֵת לַהֲרוֹג וְעֵת לִרְפּוֹא עֵת לִפְרוֹץ וְעֵת לִבְנוֹת׃

4A time for weeping and a time for laughing, A time for wailing and a time for dancing;

דעֵת לִבְכּוֹת וְעֵת לִשְׂחוֹק עֵת סְפוֹד וְעֵת רְקוֹד׃

5A time for throwing stones and a time for gathering stones, A time for embracing and a time for shunning embraces;

AYT l'-hash-LEEKH a-va-NEEM v'-AYT k'-NOS a-va-NEEM AYT la-kha-VOK v'-AYT lir-KHOK may-kha-BAYK

העֵת לְהַשְׁלִיךְ אֲבָנִים וְעֵת כְּנוֹס אֲבָנִים עֵת לַחֲבוֹק וְעֵת לִרְחֹק מֵחַבֵּק׃

 3:5   A time for throwing stones

According to the Sages, the phrase, “a time for throwing stones” is a reference to the destruction of Yerushalayim, when its grand walls were reduced to a heap of rocks. The phrase, “and a time to gather stones” refers to the second stage of exile, when King Yechonya, and those exiled with him, carried the stones and earth of Yerushalayim to Babylonia, in order to build synagogues and study halls from the precious and sacred earth of the Holy Land. Additionally, just as God allowed Yerushalayim to be destroyed and reduced to stones, He also allowed the stones to be gathered for Yerushalayim to be built once again.

6A time for seeking and a time for losing, A time for keeping and a time for discarding;

ועֵת לְבַקֵּשׁ וְעֵת לְאַבֵּד עֵת לִשְׁמוֹר וְעֵת לְהַשְׁלִיךְ׃

7A time for ripping and a time for sewing, A time for silence and a time for speaking;

זעֵת לִקְרוֹעַ וְעֵת לִתְפּוֹר עֵת לַחֲשׁוֹת וְעֵת לְדַבֵּר׃

8A time for loving and a time for hating; A time for war and a time for peace.

חעֵת לֶאֱהֹב וְעֵת לִשְׂנֹא עֵת מִלְחָמָה וְעֵת שָׁלוֹם׃

9What value, then, can the man of affairs get from what he earns?

טמַה־יִּתְרוֹן הָעוֹשֶׂה בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא עָמֵל׃

10I have observed the business that Hashem gave man to be concerned with:

ירָאִיתִי אֶת־הָעִנְיָן אֲשֶׁר נָתַן אֱלֹהִים לִבְנֵי הָאָדָם לַעֲנוֹת בּוֹ׃

11He brings everything to pass precisely at its time; He also puts eternity in their mind, but without man ever guessing, from first to last, all the things that Hashem brings to pass.

יאאֶת־הַכֹּל עָשָׂה יָפֶה בְעִתּוֹ גַּם אֶת־הָעֹלָם נָתַן בְּלִבָּם מִבְּלִי אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יִמְצָא הָאָדָם אֶת־הַמַּעֲשֶׂה אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה הָאֱלֹהִים מֵרֹאשׁ וְעַד־סוֹף׃

12Thus I realized that the only worthwhile thing there is for them is to enjoy themselves and do what is good in their lifetime;

יביָדַעְתִּי כִּי אֵין טוֹב בָּם כִּי אִם־לִשְׂמוֹחַ וְלַעֲשׂוֹת טוֹב בְּחַיָּיו׃

13also, that whenever a man does eat and drink and get enjoyment out of all his wealth, it is a gift of Hashem.

יגוְגַם כָּל־הָאָדָם שֶׁיֹּאכַל וְשָׁתָה וְרָאָה טוֹב בְּכָל־עֲמָלוֹ מַתַּת אֱלֹהִים הִיא׃

14I realized, too, that whatever Hashem has brought to pass will recur evermore: Nothing can be added to it And nothing taken from it— and Hashem has brought to pass that men revere Him.

ידיָדַעְתִּי כִּי כָּל־אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה הָאֱלֹהִים הוּא יִהְיֶה לְעוֹלָם עָלָיו אֵין לְהוֹסִיף וּמִמֶּנּוּ אֵין לִגְרֹעַ וְהָאֱלֹהִים עָשָׂה שֶׁיִּרְאוּ מִלְּפָנָיו׃

15What is occurring occurred long since, And what is to occur occurred long since: and Hashem seeks the pursued.

טומַה־שֶּׁהָיָה כְּבָר הוּא וַאֲשֶׁר לִהְיוֹת כְּבָר הָיָה וְהָאֱלֹהִים יְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת־נִרְדָּף׃

16And, indeed, I have observed under the sun: Alongside justice there is wickedness, Alongside righteousness there is wickedness.

טזוְעוֹד רָאִיתִי תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ מְקוֹם הַמִּשְׁפָּט שָׁמָּה הָרֶשַׁע וּמְקוֹם הַצֶּדֶק שָׁמָּה הָרָשַׁע׃

17I mused: “Hashem will doom both righteous and wicked, for there is a time for every experience and for every happening.”

יזאָמַרְתִּי אֲנִי בְּלִבִּי אֶת־הַצַּדִּיק וְאֶת־הָרָשָׁע יִשְׁפֹּט הָאֱלֹהִים כִּי־עֵת לְכָל־חֵפֶץ וְעַל כָּל־הַמַּעֲשֶׂה שָׁם׃

18So I decided, as regards men, to dissociate them [from] the divine beings and to face the fact that they are beasts.

יחאָמַרְתִּי אֲנִי בְּלִבִּי עַל־דִּבְרַת בְּנֵי הָאָדָם לְבָרָם הָאֱלֹהִים וְלִרְאוֹת שְׁהֶם־בְּהֵמָה הֵמָּה לָהֶם׃

19For in respect of the fate of man and the fate of beast, they have one and the same fate: as the one dies so dies the other, and both have the same lifebreath; man has no superiority over beast, since both amount to nothing.

יטכִּי מִקְרֶה בְנֵי־הָאָדָם וּמִקְרֶה הַבְּהֵמָה וּמִקְרֶה אֶחָד לָהֶם כְּמוֹת זֶה כֵּן מוֹת זֶה וְרוּחַ אֶחָד לַכֹּל וּמוֹתַר הָאָדָם מִן־הַבְּהֵמָה אָיִן כִּי הַכֹּל הָבֶל׃

20Both go to the same place; both came from dust and both return to dust.

כהַכֹּל הוֹלֵךְ אֶל־מָקוֹם אֶחָד הַכֹּל הָיָה מִן־הֶעָפָר וְהַכֹּל שָׁב אֶל־הֶעָפָר׃

21Who knows if a man's lifebreath does rise upward and if a beast's breath does sink down into the earth?

כאמִי יוֹדֵעַ רוּחַ בְּנֵי הָאָדָם הָעֹלָה הִיא לְמָעְלָה וְרוּחַ הַבְּהֵמָה הַיֹּרֶדֶת הִיא לְמַטָּה לָאָרֶץ׃

22I saw that there is nothing better for man than to enjoy his possessions, since that is his portion. For who can enable him to see what will happen afterward?

כבוְרָאִיתִי כִּי אֵין טוֹב מֵאֲשֶׁר יִשְׂמַח הָאָדָם בְּמַעֲשָׂיו כִּי־הוּא חֶלְקוֹ כִּי מִי יְבִיאֶנּוּ לִרְאוֹת בְּמֶה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה אַחֲרָיו׃