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Eclesiastes 3

7 traduções · lido através de 12 tradições.

NCB · Nova Bíblia do Consenso

1For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: 2a time to be born, 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 up; 4a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. 9What profit does the worker have in that in which he toils? 10I have seen the task that God has given to the sons of men to be tasked with. 11He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that no human can find out the work that God has worked from beginning to end. 12I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in his life. 13And also that every man who eats and drinks, and sees good in all his labor—it is the gift of God. 14I know that whatever God will do, it will be forever; nothing can be added to it, and nothing can be taken from it. God has done it, so that they should fear before him. 15What has been, already it is; and what is to be, already was; and God seeks what has passed away. 16And moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, there is wickedness; and in the place of righteousness, there is the wicked. 17I said in my heart, "God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every purpose and for every work there." 18I said in my heart regarding the sons of men, that God tests them, and to see that they are beasts, they are. 19For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of the beast—one fate is theirs: as the death of this, so the death of that. They all have one breath, and man has no advantage over the beast, for all is vanity. 20All go to one place. All are from the dust, and all return to the dust. 21Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, whether it goes up upward, and the spirit of the beast, whether it goes down downward to the earth? 22And I saw that there is nothing better than that the man should rejoice in his works, for that is his portion. For who can bring him to see what will be after him?

Versão gerada por IA, não uma tradução humana. Leia Eclesiastes 3 na Nova Bíblia do Consenso →

No que as tradições concordam

A pan-Christian consensus holds that humanity's capacity to sense the eternal remains fundamentally limited by an inability to fully comprehend God's exhaustive providential design, though it is broadly agreed that the placement of eternity in the human heart reveals an innate spiritual longing that temporal cycles cannot satisfy. Furthermore, interpreters broadly utilize the catalog of times and seasons pastorally to comfort individuals by anchoring life's transitions in divine sovereignty,… Faça login para ler o consenso completo →

Aceito pela maioria, mas não por todas

  • The catalog of times and seasons is utilized pastorally to comfort individuals by anchoring life's transitions in divine sovereignty. (7 affirm)
  • The placement of eternity in the human heart indicates an innate spiritual longing or prevenient grace that temporal cycles cannot satisfy. (8 affirm)
  • The shared mortality of all creatures serves to humble human pride and strip away the illusion of earthly prestige or immortality. (7 affirm)

Onde as tradições diferem

  • The catalog of appointed times and seasons serves as an allegorical framework for ascetic discipline, sacramental action, and the cultivation of virtue.

    catholic: AFFIRM; orthodox: AFFIRM; oriental-orthodox: QUALIFY; lutheran: DENY; reformed: DENY

  • The appointed seasons reflect God's eternal decrees and meticulous providence over all human affairs.

    catholic: AFFIRM; orthodox: DENY; oriental-orthodox: AFFIRM; anglican: AFFIRM; lutheran: AFFIRM; reformed: AFFIRM; baptist: AFFIRM; methodist: AFFIRM; pentecostal: AFFIRM; adventist: AFFIRM

  • The divinely appointed times establish the necessity of faithful service in temporal vocations over self-chosen ascetic practices.

    orthodox: DENY; oriental-orthodox: DENY; lutheran: AFFIRM; reformed: AFFIRM

  • The pairing of a time to keep silence and a time to weep provides a literal template for monastic disciplines of stillness and repentance.

    orthodox: QUALIFY; oriental-orthodox: AFFIRM; lutheran: DENY; reformed: DENY

  • The placement of eternity in the human heart establishes a unique human spiritual nature that categorically distinguishes humanity from animals.

    oriental-orthodox: QUALIFY; anglican: AFFIRM; pentecostal: AFFIRM; adventist: DENY; restorationist: AFFIRM

  • The reality of corrupted earthly justice calls believers to form an alternative visible community of peace rather than enforcing justice through worldly power.

    reformed: QUALIFY; anabaptist: AFFIRM

  • The comparison of human and animal death reflects the pessimistic limits of natural reason and human observation prior to the full revelation of the Gospel.

    catholic: AFFIRM; orthodox: QUALIFY; oriental-orthodox: QUALIFY; reformed: AFFIRM; adventist: DENY; restorationist: AFFIRM

  • The 'breath' shared by humans and beasts constitutes an impersonal vital life force rather than a conscious, immortal soul.

    catholic: DENY; methodist: DENY; adventist: AFFIRM; restorationist: DENY

  • At death, the whole human person ceases to exist as a conscious entity and returns entirely to dust.

    catholic: DENY; orthodox: DENY; methodist: DENY; adventist: AFFIRM; restorationist: DENY

  • Despite shared physical mortality, the human spirit consciously ascends to God upon death.

    catholic: AFFIRM; methodist: AFFIRM; adventist: DENY; restorationist: QUALIFY

  • The ability to find joy in earthly labor is a gracious gift of creation that frees believers from seeking spiritual merit through self-chosen works.

    orthodox: DENY; lutheran: AFFIRM; reformed: QUALIFY

Como cada tradição interpreta

Cada leitura foi gerada isoladamente — nenhuma tradição vê a resposta da outra.

Catholic

Ecclesiastes 3 presents the Preacher's famous catalog of 'times' and 'seasons,' establishing that all human activities and earthly polarities are bounded by overarching divine providence (3:1-8). The chapter then moves to a reflection on the burden and limitation of human labor (3:9-10). The Preacher observes that God has made everything beautiful in its fitting time and placed a sense of eternity—or, as the Vulgate translates, the world itself—in the human heart, yet humanity cannot fully comprehend God's work from beginning to end (3:11). Observing this epistemological limitation alongside the reality of worldly injustice (3:16), the text commends rejoicing and enjoying the fruits of one's labor as a divine gift (3:12-13, 22). The chapter concludes with a stark meditation on mortality, noting that humans and beasts share the same breath and ultimate fate in the dust (3:18-20). This shared physical death prompts an inquiry about the destination of the spirit (3:21) and the necessity of ultimate divine judgment (3:17). Reception: Catholic reception integrates the chapter's natural philosophy, its stark view of mortality, and its polarities of time into a broader synthesis of nature and grace, drawing deeply on both Latin and Eastern exegetical traditions. The catalogue of 'times' (3:1-8) is frequently transposed from a meditation on deterministic temporal cycles into a framework for spiritual discernment and sacramental life. In the East, Gregory of Nyssa ('Homilies on Ecclesiastes') reads these times ascetically and sacramentally: he interprets the 'time to be born' as the spiritual birth of Baptism, which involves human volition, and the 'time to die' as the voluntary dying to sin. In the Latin West, Jerome ('Commentary on Ecclesiastes') similarly allegorizes the passage, seeing the 'time to plant' as the sowing of the Gospel and virtues, and the 'time to pluck up' as the eradication of vices and idolatry. Verse 11 holds a distinct place in Catholic intellectual history due to the Vulgate's translation: 'He... hath delivered the world to their consideration' ('mundum tradidit disputationi eorum'). Thomas Aquinas ('Summa Theologiae') and other scholastics utilized this rendering to affirm the legitimate autonomy of human reason and the scientific investigation of the natural world, understanding the drive for philosophical inquiry as a God-given vocation, even while acknowledging that humans cannot fully grasp God's ultimate design. The tension between the observed injustice of the present (3:16) and the promise of divine justice is resolved eschatologically. Augustine ('City of God') points to verse 17 ('God shall judge both the just and the wicked') as evidence that the true distribution of justice requires a Final Judgment beyond the temporal bounds of this world. Furthermore, regarding the shared mortality of humans and beasts (3:19-21), Catholic tradition reads Qoheleth's questioning of the spirit's ascent not as a doctrinal denial of the afterlife, but as an expression of the limits of natural human reason prior to the revelation of Christ's resurrection.

Eastern Orthodox

Ecclesiastes 3 presents a poetic and philosophical observation of human temporality. The Preacher catalogs the rigid, cyclical boundaries of time that govern human activity (verses 1-8), acknowledges the burden of earthly toil (verses 9-10), and marvels at the unsearchable mystery of God's providence (verse 11). The chapter concludes with a stark meditation on mortality, observing that human beings and animals share the same physical fate of returning to dust (verses 18-20), leading to the conclusion that humans should accept and rejoice in the simple, present gifts of God (verses 12-13, 22). Reception: Eastern Orthodox reception of this chapter is heavily shaped by the Greek patristic tradition, particularly Gregory of Nyssa. Rather than reading the catalog of times (verses 1-8) as fatalistic determinism, Gregory reads these verses spiritually as a map for the ascetic life. For example, 'a time to be born' signifies spiritual birth or baptism; 'a time to kill' denotes the eradication of sinful passions; and 'a time to heal' reflects the restoration of the soul. In verse 11, the Septuagint's translation that God has placed 'the age' (ton aiona) in the human heart is understood as the innate human capacity for the eternal, which contrasts sharply with the apophatic limit described in the same verse: that humanity cannot fully comprehend God's workings. The profound pessimism regarding death (verses 18-20), where humanity is equated with beasts in their return to dust, is read not as ultimate truth but as a precise diagnosis of fallen human nature under the curse of corruption (phthora), highlighting the absolute necessity of the Incarnation to transcend this natural limit.

Oriental Orthodox

The text presents a poetic catalog of appointed times and seasons, asserting that every human experience and action has its fixed moment under heaven (verses 1-8). The Teacher observes that God has placed a sense of eternity in the human heart, yet obscures the full understanding of divine providence from beginning to end (verse 11). Observing the courts of justice and the inevitability of death, the Teacher notes that both humans and animals share the exact same physical fate—returning to the dust from which they came (verses 18-20). Given this profound limitation and the vanity of earthly life, the passage concludes that humanity's best portion is to accept God's gift of rejoicing in their present labor and doing good while they live (verses 12-13, 22). Reception: In the Oriental Orthodox tradition, this chapter is read predominantly through ascetic, Alexandrian, and Syriac theological lenses. The catalog of times (verses 1-8) is deeply integrated into monastic literature as a framework for spiritual discernment and a demonstration of the transience of the present age. The assertion that God 'has set eternity in their heart' (verse 11) is understood by Alexandrian Fathers as the lingering imprint of the Image of God (the Logos) within humanity, even after the fall. Conversely, the sobering reflections on mortality—that humans die just like beasts and return to the dust (verses 18-20)—are emphasized by figures like Athanasius of Alexandria to describe the state of human nature alienated from the Life-giver. Without the grace of the Word, human beings revert to their natural, corruptible state, possessing 'no preeminence above a beast' (verse 19). Syriac commentators, particularly Ephrem the Syrian, dwell on the shared fate of humans and animals in the grave (verse 20) to emphasize the profound leveling effect of death, which strips away all worldly vanity and underscores the absolute necessity of Christ's incarnate victory to raise humanity from the dust.

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O mesmo capítulo em 7 traduções de domínio público.

WEB · World English Bible

1For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: 2a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. 9What profit has he who works in that in which he labors? 10I have seen the burden which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with. 11He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their hearts, yet so that man can’t find out the work that God has done from the beginning even to the end. 12I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and to do good as long as they live. 13Also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor, is the gift of God. 14I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; and God has done it, that men should fear before him. 15That which is has been long ago, and that which is to be has been long ago. God seeks again that which is passed away. 16Moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there. 17I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.” 18I said in my heart, “As for the sons of men, God tests them, so that they may see that they themselves are like animals. 19For that which happens to the sons of men happens to animals. Even one thing happens to them. As the one dies, so the other dies. Yes, they have all one breath; and man has no advantage over the animals, for all is vanity. 20All go to one place. All are from the dust, and all turn to dust again. 21Who knows the spirit of man, whether it goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, whether it goes downward to the earth?” 22Therefore I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his works, for that is his portion; for who can bring him to see what will be after him?

KJV · King James Version

1To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 2A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. 9What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth? 10I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. 11He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. 12I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life. 13And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God. 14I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him. 15That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past. 16And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there. 17I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work. 18I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts. 19For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. 20All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. 21Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? 22Wherefore 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?

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Diferenças que mudam o sentido (37)
  • v3 [lexical]: verb choice for tearing down or destroying — “break down” (WEB, KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “destroy” (DRC)
  • v5 [lexical]: verb choice for dispersing stones — “cast away” (WEB, KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “scatter” (DRC)
  • v5 [lexical]: phrasing for abstaining from an action — “refrain” (WEB, KJV, ASV, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “be far” (YLT, DRC)
  • v5 [grammatical]: use of a gerund versus a plural noun — “embracing” (WEB, KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “embraces” (DRC)
  • v6 [lexical]: verb choice for acquiring or pursuing — “seek” (WEB, ASV, YLT, DARBY) vs “get” (KJV, WEBSTER, DRC)
  • v7 [lexical]: synonymous verbs for tearing — “rend” (KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “tear” (WEB)
  • v8 [grammatical]: infinitive marker versus preposition — “to” (WEB, KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “of” (DRC)
  • v8 [grammatical]: infinitive verb versus noun phrase — “to hate” (WEB, KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “of hatred” (DRC)
  • v8 [grammatical]: preposition choice for temporal association — “of” (KJV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “for” (WEB, ASV)
  • v10 [lexical]: translation of the noun indicating toil or burden — “travail which” (KJV, ASV) vs “that” (YLT, DARBY) vs “burden” (WEB) vs “labor” (WEBSTER) vs “trouble” (DRC)
  • v10 [interpretive]: translation of the action or effect applied to men's toil — “be exercised in it” (KJV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “afflicted with” (WEB) vs “therewith” (ASV) vs “humbled by” (YLT) vs “toil” (DARBY)
  • v11 [grammatical]: phrasing of the negative ability to find out — “can find” (KJV, WEBSTER) vs “cannot” (ASV, DRC) vs “findeth not” (YLT, DARBY) vs “can’t” (WEB)
  • v11 [grammatical]: preposition or adverb used to mark the extent of time — “to” (KJV, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “even” (WEB, ASV) vs “even unto” (YLT)
  • v12 [grammatical]: present versus present perfect tense — “know” (WEB, KJV, ASV, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “have known” (YLT, DRC)
  • v13 [grammatical]: modal auxiliary versus relative clause — “should eat” (WEB, KJV, ASV, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “who eateth” (YLT) vs “that eateth” (DRC)
  • v13 [grammatical]: verb form and tense — “drink” (WEB, KJV, ASV, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “hath drunk” (YLT) vs “drinketh” (DRC)
  • v13 [grammatical]: handling of the resumptive pronoun or demonstrative — “labor” (WEB, ASV, WEBSTER) vs “labour it” (KJV, YLT, DARBY) vs “this” (DRC)
  • v14 [lexical]: verb choice for acquiring knowledge or drawing a conclusion — “know” (WEB, KJV, ASV, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “have known” (YLT) vs “have learned” (DRC)
  • v14 [grammatical]: phrasing of the indefinite relative pronoun — “whatever” (WEB, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “whatsoever” (KJV, ASV) vs “all that” (YLT) vs “all the works which” (DRC)
  • v14 [lexical]: verb choice for God's action — “doeth it” (KJV, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “has done” (WEB) vs “hath done” (ASV) vs “hath wrought” (YLT) vs “hath made” (DRC)
  • v15 [grammatical]: infinitive construction versus future tense auxiliary — “which is to” (WEB, KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “shall” (DRC)
  • v15 [lexical]: adverbial indication of past completion — “hath already” (KJV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “has” (WEB) vs “long ago” (ASV) vs “have” (DRC)
  • v15 [grammatical]: conjunction versus temporal adverb — “and” (KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “long ago” (WEB)
  • v15 [interpretive]: verb describing God's retrieval or demanding of the past — “requireth” (KJV, YLT, WEBSTER) vs “seeks again” (WEB) vs “seeketh again” (ASV) vs “bringeth back again” (DARBY) vs “restoreth” (DRC)
  • v15 [lexical]: translation of what has gone by — “past” (KJV, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “passed away” (WEB, ASV) vs “pursued” (YLT)
  • v17 [lexical]: translation of the term for the righteous or just — “righteous” (WEB, KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “just” (DRC)
  • v17 [lexical]: translation of the noun denoting activity or matter — “work” (WEB, KJV, ASV, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “there” (YLT) vs “thing” (DRC)
  • v18 [interpretive]: verb describing God's purpose in testing or revealing man's state — “might manifest” (KJV, WEBSTER) vs “may prove” (ASV, DARBY) vs “tests” (WEB) vs “cleanse” (YLT) vs “would prove” (DRC)
  • v19 [grammatical]: phrasing of what occurs to mankind — “For that which befalleth” (KJV, ASV, WEBSTER) vs “happens to” (WEB) vs “an event is to” (YLT) vs “what” (DARBY) vs “Therefore” (DRC)
  • v19 [lexical]: translation of the term for offspring or mortal fate — “sons” (WEB, KJV, ASV, YLT, WEBSTER) vs “children” (DARBY) vs “death” (DRC)
  • v19 [grammatical]: phrasing of the common outcome or event — “thing befalleth” (KJV, ASV, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “happens to” (WEB) vs “event is to” (YLT) vs “and the condition of” (DRC)
  • v19 [grammatical]: phrasing of the comparison of dying — “the one dieth” (KJV, ASV, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “dies” (WEB) vs “death of this” (YLT) vs “man” (DRC)
  • v20 [grammatical]: phrasing of the common destination — “All go unto” (KJV, ASV, DARBY) vs “to” (WEB, WEBSTER) vs “The whole are going” (YLT) vs “And things to” (DRC)
  • v21 [grammatical]: phrasing of the inquiry into the spirit's destination — “knoweth” (KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “knows” (WEB) vs “if” (DRC)
  • v22 [lexical]: transitional conjunction — “Wherefore” (KJV, ASV, WEBSTER) vs “And” (YLT, DARBY, DRC) vs “Therefore” (WEB)
  • v22 [lexical]: verb of perception or conclusion — “saw” (WEB, ASV) vs “perceive” (KJV, WEBSTER) vs “have seen” (YLT, DARBY) vs “have found” (DRC)
  • v22 [grammatical]: modal verb indicating future action or capability — “shall” (KJV, ASV, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “can” (WEB) vs “doth” (YLT)

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Texto original. Hebrew/Aramaic (Westminster Leningrad Codex tradition, via STEPBible TAHOT). Hebrew text of the Westminster Leningrad Codex.

Nomes divinos: Elohim (God).

Também consultadas, mas não contadas no consenso

Academic textual-historical analysis

Ecclesiastes 3 is structured around three primary reflections on human limitation. Verses 1-8 feature a carefully structured poem containing fourteen pairs of polar opposites (merisms). These pairs catalog the totality of human experience, asserting that there is a designated season for every action. Verses 9-15 reflect on this catalog by questioning the ultimate advantage or profit of human toil (verse 9). The text observes that God has placed a profound but restrictive burden on humanity, setting an obscure concept ('olam) in the human heart while simultaneously preventing humans from comprehending the entirety of God's work (verse 11). Consequently, the author concludes that the highest available good is to eat, drink, and find enjoyment in one's labor as a divine portion (verses 12-13). Finally, verses 16-22 address the empirical reality of systemic injustice. The author observes that humans and beasts share the identical fate of death and possess the same breath (ruach). The section culminates in explicit skepticism regarding human exceptionalism, questioning whether the human spirit actually ascends after death.

Jewish interpretation

Kohelet presents a catalog of twenty-eight contrasting 'times' or appointed seasons (verses 1-8), illustrating that human existence is governed by a predetermined cosmic order. This determinism raises a profound question regarding human agency and the ultimate profit of human labor (verse 9). God has made everything fitting in its time, yet implanted 'ha'olam'—a notoriously ambiguous term meaning eternity, the world, or hiddenness—in the human heart, leaving humanity unable to fully comprehend God's work from beginning to end (verse 11). The chapter wrestles with the frustrating reality of injustice residing even in places of law (verse 16) and concludes with the stark, equalizing reality of mortality, observing that both humans and animals return to the dust (verses 18-20). Ultimately, the text commends the enjoyment of life's simple fruits as humanity's allotted portion from God (verse 22).

Latter-day Saint

The Preacher observes the rhythmic, cyclical nature of human existence, outlining fourteen pairs of opposites to demonstrate that all human activities are governed by appointed times and seasons (vv. 1-8). Recognizing the burden of mortal labor (v. 10), he acknowledges that God has made everything beautiful in its time and placed a sense of eternity in the human heart, though humanity remains unable to fully grasp God's overarching design (v. 11). Concluding that humans share the same mortal fate as beasts-both dying and returning to dust (vv. 18-20)-the Preacher reflects on the uncertainty of what follows death (v. 21). Consequently, he concludes that the highest good within mortal limits is to rejoice, do good, and find satisfaction in one's labor as a gift from God (vv. 12-13, 22).

Jehovah's Witnesses

In this wisdom text, the author (identified by the tradition as King Solomon) catalogues the appointed seasons for human activities and emotions under heaven (verses 1-8). The writer observes the limits of human comprehension, noting that God has placed 'eternity' in the human heart (verse 11). Finally, the text reflects on the shared mortality of humans and animals: both possess the same breath, die the same death, and return to the same dust, rendering human life under present conditions a vanity (verses 18-22).

Escolhas de tradução feitas pela NCB (39)
  • v1: For everything... for every — Preserves the parallel prepositional structures from the source text exactly.
  • v2: plant... uproot what is planted — Preserves the cognate construction with contemporary vocabulary.
  • v3: break down — Fits the architectural contrast with 'build up' better than general destruction.
  • v5: cast away — Maintains the established English idiom for the dispersion of stones in this verse.
  • v5: refrain from embracing — Maintains the active verbal contrast and the Pi'el infinitive structure from the preceding phrase.
  • v6: seek — Better captures the active search contrasting with the reality of losing.
  • v7: tear — Uses contemporary English vocabulary in place of archaic diction.
  • v8: to love... to hate — Maintains the infinitive structure extending from the prior verses before the final absolute noun shift.
  • v8: a time of war, and a time of peace — Preserves the source text's grammatical shift to absolute nouns without prepositional infinitive markers to conclude the poem.
  • v9: the worker — Preserves the definite-article pattern of the participial noun.
  • v10: the task... to be tasked with — Preserves the cognate construction uniting the noun and the infinitive.
  • v10: God — Consistent rendering of the divine name Elohim.
  • v11: beautiful — Captures the aesthetic fitness and precise timing of God's appointed seasons.
  • v11: eternity — Reflects the pan-Christian consensus recognizing humanity's innate spiritual longing for the eternal.
  • v11: no human — Preserves the definite article referencing humanity collectively.
  • v11: the work that God has worked — Preserves the cognate construction of the noun and verb.
  • v11: from beginning to end — Preserves the inclusio concisely.
  • v11: God — Consistent rendering of the divine name ha-Elohim.
  • v12: for them... in his life — Preserves the source text's number shift from plural to singular suffix.
  • v13: every man who eats — Follows the relative clause structure of the source.
  • v13: God — Consistent rendering of the divine name Elohim.
  • v14: whatever God will do... God has done it — Preserves the cognate construction and temporal contrast between the imperfect and perfect verbs.
  • v14: God — Consistent rendering of the divine name ha-Elohim.
  • v15: What has been, already it is; and what is to be, already was — Preserves the exact repetitive parallel structures of the temporal adverbs.
  • v15: seeks what has passed away — Accurately renders the passive participle of what is chased away or past.
  • v15: God — Consistent rendering of the divine name ha-Elohim.
  • v16: in the place of justice, there is wickedness; and in the place of righteousness, there is the wicked — Preserves both the parallel locative repetition and the source wordplay between abstract wickedness and the wicked individual.
  • v17: I said in my heart — Preserves the repeated introductory framing formula spanning verses 17 and 18.
  • v17: for there is a time for every purpose and for every work there — Places the locative adverb at the end of the clause as positioned in the source text.
  • v17: God — Consistent rendering of the divine name ha-Elohim.
  • v18: tests — Reflects the probing nature of God's action as disputed among traditions.
  • v18: that they are beasts, they are — Preserves the repetitive wordplay and assonance of the source.
  • v18: God — Consistent rendering of the divine name ha-Elohim.
  • v19: fate — Maintains the threefold noun repetition that fits the empirical context of mortality.
  • v19: as the death of this, so the death of that — Preserves the source text's parallel repetition of the noun for death.
  • v19: breath — Uses a physical rendering in light of the fact that its nature as a vital life force is disputed among traditions.
  • v20: All are from the dust, and all return to the dust — Preserves the repeated definite article on 'dust' and the threefold repetition of 'all'.
  • v21: whether it goes up upward... whether it goes down downward — Captures both the interrogative He prefix pattern and the cognate construction linking the active participle to its directional adverb.
  • v22: the man — Preserves the definite article establishing the singular focus maintained through the accompanying suffixes.
Limites que vale a pena conhecer
  • This is AI-generated and source-grounded, and it is approved by no community that holds these traditions.
  • The readings were produced in isolated calls that do not see one another. Isolation prevents anchoring; it does not make them independent witnesses.
  • The Nicene-Trinitarian boundary, and the decision not to seat non-denominational Evangelicalism separately (it is a cross-traditional movement already present within several voting profiles), are editorial choices.
  • The roster, the grouping into three families, and the rule that families (not seat counts) carry consensus all shape the result. A different roster would produce a different synthesis.
  • One profile cannot exhaust a tradition; the synthesis reflects what the profiles said, not everything the traditions hold.
  • The non-voting panels (Academic, Jewish) never vote; LDS and Jehovah's Witness readings are a comparative appendix only.
  • Any profiles excluded for this chapter after failing the audit are named on the page and removed from the eligible roster for it.
  • The rendering is unreviewed by any tradition, and every contested wording it settled is listed in Choices Made — where the text forced a decision, the decision is documented rather than hidden behind a claim of preserved ambiguity.

Ver todo o processo passo a passo → · Gerado por IA em Oct 21, 2026, gemini-3.1-pro-preview (high thinking) — every stage, v4 spec + Addendum B (claim-audited, cross-stage-checked)