⁹ The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who shall know it?

¹⁰ I the LORD search the heart; I try the kidneys, even to give each man according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings.

3 ¶ For all things there is a season, and every will under the heaven has its time determined.

² A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

³ a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

⁴ a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

⁵ a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

⁶ a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

⁷ a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

⁸ a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

⁹ What profit does the one that works have in that in which he labours?

¹⁰ I have seen the travail which God has given to the sons of men that they may be occupied in it.

¹¹ ¶ He has made every thing beautiful in his time: even the world he has given over to their will, in such a way that no man can attain to this work that God makes from the beginning to the end.

¹² I have learned that there is nothing better for them, but to rejoice and to do good in his life.

¹³ And also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labour; it is the gift of God.

¹⁴ I have understood that whatever God does, it shall be for ever; nothing can be added to it, nor any thing taken from it because God does it that men should fear before him.

¹⁵ That which has been is now, and that which is to be has already been and God shall seek that which is past.

¹⁶ ¶ And moreover I saw under the sun that instead of judgment, there was wickedness; and instead of righteousness, that iniquity was there.

¹⁷ I said in my heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time determined to judge every will and regarding everything that is done.

¹⁸ I said in my heart concerning the estate of the sons of men that God might manifest them and that they might see that they themselves are beasts one to another.

¹⁹ For that which befalls the sons of men befalls beasts; even one thing befalls them: as the one dies, so dies the other; and they all have one breath; so that a man has no more breath than a beast: for all is vanity.

²⁰ All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all shall turn to dust again.

²¹ Who knows that the spirit of the sons of men goes upward and that the spirit of the beast goes downward to the earth?

²² Therefore 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?

4 ¶ Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, listening to spirits of error and doctrines of demons;

² that in hypocrisy shall speak lies; having their conscience seared as with a hot iron;

³ they shall forbid to marry and shall command men to abstain from foods, which God has created to be received with thanksgiving by those who are faithful and have known the truth.

3 ¶ This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

² For there shall be men who are lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, evil speakers, disobedient to their parents, unthankful, impure,

³ without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, without temperance, without meekness, without goodness,

⁴ traitors, rash, puffed up, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God,

⁵ having the appearance of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

⁶ For of this sort are those who creep into houses and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with various lusts,

⁷ ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

⁷ Even as Sodom and Gomorrha and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh, were set forth for an example, having received the judgment of eternal fire.

⁸ ¶ In the same manner these deceived dreamers, defile their flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of higher powers.

⁹ Yet when Michael, the archangel, contended with the devil, disputing over the body of Moses, he dared not bring against him a curse of judgment, but said, The Lord reprehend thee.

¹⁰ But these speak evil of those things which they do not know; but what they know by nature as animals without reason, in those things they corrupt themselves.