Ecclesiastes

Wheel of Heaven Translation

Ecclesiastes 3: a time for everything under the skies

Direct

Established or uncontested across mainstream sources, or a direct description of the project itself.

The Method

Ecclesiastes (Hebrew Qohelet, "the Assembler") is the reflection of a sage on what lasts under the sun. This translation covers Ecclesiastes 3, the chapter that the Raëlian canon cites: a time for everything under the skies, the eternity that God has set in the human heart, and the one fate of the sons of the human and the beasts.

At 3:21 the Masoretic vowels make the verse a statement where the consonants allow a question ("who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward?"); the note gives both readings. Verses with a note end in a bracketed marker [ ]; select it to open the note.

About this translation

Edition
Pointed Hebrew Masoretic text of the Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain), via Sefaria. The English translation and notes are released CC0.
Coverage
Chapter 3 translated (22 verses): every chapter of the book cited in the Raëlian canon. The rest of the book is not translated.
Review status
Reviewed and signed off.

Ecclesiastes 3 — A time for everything under the skies

1
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under the skies:
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
לַכֹּ֖ל זְמָ֑ן וְעֵ֥ת לְכָל־חֵ֖פֶץ תַּ֥חַת הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ (ס)
2
a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted;
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; vanity of vanities, all is vanity.
עֵ֥ת לָלֶ֖דֶת וְעֵ֣ת לָמ֑וּת עֵ֣ת לָטַ֔עַת וְעֵ֖ת לַעֲק֥וֹר נָטֽוּעַ׃
3
a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
What profit hath man of all his labor wherein he laboreth under the sun?
עֵ֤ת לַהֲרוֹג֙ וְעֵ֣ת לִרְפּ֔וֹא עֵ֥ת לִפְר֖וֹץ וְעֵ֥ת לִבְנֽוֹת׃
4
a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
One generation goeth, and another generation cometh; but the earth abideth for ever.
עֵ֤ת לִבְכּוֹת֙ וְעֵ֣ת לִשְׂח֔וֹק עֵ֥ת סְפ֖וֹד וְעֵ֥ת רְקֽוֹד׃
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;
The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to its place where it ariseth.
עֵ֚ת לְהַשְׁלִ֣יךְ אֲבָנִ֔ים וְעֵ֖ת כְּנ֣וֹס אֲבָנִ֑ים עֵ֣ת לַחֲב֔וֹק וְעֵ֖ת לִרְחֹ֥ק מֵחַבֵּֽק׃
6
a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it turneth about continually in its course, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.
עֵ֤ת לְבַקֵּשׁ֙ וְעֵ֣ת לְאַבֵּ֔ד עֵ֥ת לִשְׁמ֖וֹר וְעֵ֥ת לְהַשְׁלִֽיךְ׃
7
a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silent, and a time to speak;
All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go again.
עֵ֤ת לִקְר֙וֹעַ֙ וְעֵ֣ת לִתְפּ֔וֹר עֵ֥ת לַחֲשׁ֖וֹת וְעֵ֥ת לְדַבֵּֽר׃
8
a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
All things are full of weariness; man cannot utter [it]: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
עֵ֤ת לֶֽאֱהֹב֙ וְעֵ֣ת לִשְׂנֹ֔א עֵ֥ת מִלְחָמָ֖ה וְעֵ֥ת שָׁלֽוֹם׃ (ס)
9
What gain has the worker in that in which he toils?
That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
מַה־יִּתְרוֹן֙ הָֽעוֹשֶׂ֔ה בַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר ה֥וּא עָמֵֽל׃
10
I have seen the task that Elohim has given to the sons of the human to be occupied with.
Is there a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been long ago, in the ages which were before us.
רָאִ֣יתִי אֶת־הָֽעִנְיָ֗ן אֲשֶׁ֨ר נָתַ֧ן אֱלֹהִ֛ים לִבְנֵ֥י הָאָדָ֖ם לַעֲנ֥וֹת בּֽוֹ׃
11
He has made everything beautiful in its time; also he has set eternity in their heart, yet so that the human cannot find out the work that the Elohim has done from the beginning to the end.
There is no remembrance of the former [generations]; neither shall there be any remembrance of the latter [generations] that are to come, among those that shall come after.
אֶת־הַכֹּ֥ל עָשָׂ֖ה יָפֶ֣ה בְעִתּ֑וֹ גַּ֤ם אֶת־הָעֹלָם֙ נָתַ֣ן בְּלִבָּ֔ם מִבְּלִ֞י אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹא־יִמְצָ֣א הָאָדָ֗ם אֶת־הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֛ה אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֥ה הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים מֵרֹ֥אשׁ וְעַד־סֽוֹף׃
12
I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one's life;
I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
יָדַ֕עְתִּי כִּ֛י אֵ֥ין ט֖וֹב בָּ֑ם כִּ֣י אִם־לִשְׂמ֔וֹחַ וְלַעֲשׂ֥וֹת ט֖וֹב בְּחַיָּֽיו׃
13
and also that every human should eat and drink and see good in all his toil — it is the gift of Elohim.
And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven: it is a sore travail that God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.
וְגַ֤ם כָּל־הָאָדָם֙ שֶׁיֹּאכַ֣ל וְשָׁתָ֔ה וְרָאָ֥ה ט֖וֹב בְּכָל־עֲמָל֑וֹ מַתַּ֥ת אֱלֹהִ֖ים הִֽיא׃
14
I know that whatever the Elohim does, it will be forever; nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it; and the Elohim has done it, so that they should fear before him.
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.
יָדַ֗עְתִּי כִּ֠י כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֨ר יַעֲשֶׂ֤ה הָאֱלֹהִים֙ ה֚וּא יִהְיֶ֣ה לְעוֹלָ֔ם עָלָיו֙ אֵ֣ין לְהוֹסִ֔יף וּמִמֶּ֖נּוּ אֵ֣ין לִגְרֹ֑עַ וְהָאֱלֹהִ֣ים עָשָׂ֔ה שֶׁיִּֽרְא֖וּ מִלְּפָנָֽיו׃
15
That which is has already been, and that which is to be has already been; and the Elohim seeks what has been driven away.
That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
מַה־שֶּֽׁהָיָה֙ כְּבָ֣ר ה֔וּא וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר לִהְי֖וֹת כְּבָ֣ר הָיָ֑ה וְהָאֱלֹהִ֖ים יְבַקֵּ֥שׁ אֶת־נִרְדָּֽף׃
16
And moreover I saw under the sun: in the place of justice, there was wickedness; and in the place of righteousness, there was wickedness.
I communed with mine own hear, saying, Lo, I have gotten me great wisdom above all that were before me in Jerusalem; yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
וְע֥וֹד רָאִ֖יתִי תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ מְק֤וֹם הַמִּשְׁפָּט֙ שָׁ֣מָּה הָרֶ֔שַׁע וּמְק֥וֹם הַצֶּ֖דֶק שָׁ֥מָּה הָרָֽשַׁע׃
17
I said in my heart: the Elohim will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time there for every matter and for every work.
And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.
אָמַ֤רְתִּֽי אֲנִי֙ בְּלִבִּ֔י אֶת־הַצַּדִּיק֙ וְאֶת־הָ֣רָשָׁ֔ע יִשְׁפֹּ֖ט הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים כִּי־עֵ֣ת לְכָל־חֵ֔פֶץ וְעַ֥ל כָּל־הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה שָֽׁם׃
18
I said in my heart concerning the sons of the human: that the Elohim may test them, and that they may see that they themselves are beasts.
For in much wisdom is much grief; and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
אָמַ֤רְתִּֽי אֲנִי֙ בְּלִבִּ֔י עַל־דִּבְרַת֙ בְּנֵ֣י הָאָדָ֔ם לְבָרָ֖ם הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְלִרְא֕וֹת שְׁהֶם־בְּהֵמָ֥ה הֵ֖מָּה לָהֶֽם׃
19
For what befalls the sons of the human and what befalls the beast — one and the same thing befalls them: as the one dies, so dies the other; they all have one breath, and the human has no advantage over the beast, for all is vanity.
כִּי֩ מִקְרֶ֨ה בְֽנֵי־הָאָדָ֜ם וּמִקְרֶ֣ה הַבְּהֵמָ֗ה וּמִקְרֶ֤ה אֶחָד֙ לָהֶ֔ם כְּמ֥וֹת זֶה֙ כֵּ֣ן מ֣וֹת זֶ֔ה וְר֥וּחַ אֶחָ֖ד לַכֹּ֑ל וּמוֹתַ֨ר הָאָדָ֤ם מִן־הַבְּהֵמָה֙ אָ֔יִן כִּ֥י הַכֹּ֖ל הָֽבֶל׃
20
All go to one place; all are from the dust, and all return to the dust.
הַכֹּ֥ל הוֹלֵ֖ךְ אֶל־מָק֣וֹם אֶחָ֑ד הַכֹּל֙ הָיָ֣ה מִן־הֶֽעָפָ֔ר וְהַכֹּ֖ל שָׁ֥ב אֶל־הֶעָפָֽר׃
21
Who knows the breath of the sons of the human that goes upward, and the breath of the beast that goes downward to the earth?
מִ֣י יוֹדֵ֗עַ ר֚וּחַ בְּנֵ֣י הָאָדָ֔ם הָעֹלָ֥ה הִ֖יא לְמָ֑עְלָה וְר֙וּחַ֙ הַבְּהֵמָ֔ה הַיֹּרֶ֥דֶת הִ֖יא לְמַ֥טָּה לָאָֽרֶץ׃
22
So I saw that there is nothing better than that the human should rejoice in his works, for that is his portion; for who will bring him to see what will be after him?
וְרָאִ֗יתִי כִּ֣י אֵ֥ין טוֹב֙ מֵאֲשֶׁ֨ר יִשְׂמַ֤ח הָאָדָם֙ בְּֽמַעֲשָׂ֔יו כִּי־ה֖וּא חֶלְק֑וֹ כִּ֣י מִ֤י יְבִיאֶ֙נּוּ֙ לִרְא֔וֹת בְּמֶ֖ה שֶׁיִּהְיֶ֥ה אַחֲרָֽיו׃
Editorial history

Review record. The chapter file carries status: stable (v1.0.0) with a named human reviewer (zarazinsfuss), signed off on 2026-11-01 in the Writings wave (W1) of the canon-cited program. The editor report, the reviewer reports in the chapter files and the sign-off package (data-library/psalms-woh/wave-w1-signoff-package.md) record every decision.

Selection. Part of the program to translate, as whole chapters, every biblical chapter that the three Raëlian canon books (The Book Which Tells the Truth, Extra-Terrestrials Took Me to Their Planet, Let's Welcome the Extra-Terrestrials) cite. With this release the program is complete: 87 chapters.

Conventions. Proper names are in their English forms. Šāmayim is "skies" or "heaven(s)" by register, šəḥāqîm "clouds", ḥesed "kindness", and bənê hāʾādām "the sons of the human". Psalm verse numbers follow the Hebrew, where the heading is verse 1. The canon's readings appear only in notes headed "Wheel of Heaven reading (reception note, not a translation claim)".

Production. Drafted by Claude Opus 5.5 and taken through the Wheel of Heaven Translation Program pipeline (Translator → Editor → Reviewer → human sign-off). Central glossary 2.84.0–2.90.0; ecclesiastes-woh overlay v1.0.0. Reference translation: ASV (1901). Methodology: Source-Text Translation.

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