The Skeptics Annotated Bible (515 page)

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;

(3.5)
“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 get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

(3.6)
“A time to get, 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;

(3.7)
“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.

(3.8)
“A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”

9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?

10 I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

11
He 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.

(3.11a)
“He hath made every thing beautiful.”
Everything is beautiful in its own way. Parasitic worms, cancer cells, bubonic plague. You just have to look at it from God’s eyes.

(3.11b)
“No man can find out the work that God maketh.
” Science is impossible. We can learn nothing at all about the natural world.

(3.12-13) Strive to enjoy and do good in this life. You only get one chance.

12
I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.

(3.12)
“I know that there is no good in them, but for a man 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.

(3.13)
“Every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour.”

14 I 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
.

(3.14)
“God doeth it, that men should fear before him.”
132 Should we fear God?

15 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.

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

17 I 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.

18 I 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.

(3.19-22) Men and animals both die and their spirits don’t survive death.
167 Is death final?

19
For 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.

(3.19)
“For 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.”

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

(3.20)
“All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.”

21 Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?

22 Wherefore 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?

(3.22)
“There is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works.”

4
So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

2 Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive.

3 Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

4 Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

5 The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.

6
Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.

(4.6) “Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.”

7 Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.

8 There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.