Ecclesiastes 3:1
To every [thing there is] a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
King James Version (1769) · public domain Ecclesiastes 3:1
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About the Book of Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes is the Bible's honest search for meaning. Its voice, "the Preacher," tries everything — wisdom, pleasure, work, wealth — and keeps returning to the refrain that all is "vanity and vexation of spirit."
Its 12 chapters and 222 verses hold the famous "to every thing there is a season" (Ecclesiastes 3:1) and the book's conclusion: "fear God, and keep his commandments" (Ecclesiastes 12:13). The Preacher tests laughter, toil, wine and the pursuit of wisdom itself, observing that even the best human achievement ends in dust. Written with startling candor, it reminds readers that life under the sun is short, and that God, not gain, is the fitting center of it.
Old TestamentTestament 12Chapters 222Verses 21stBook of the Bible
Key themes in Ecclesiastes
- Meaning
- Vanity
- Time
- Wisdom
- Fear God
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Pick a chapter to draw a random verse from Ecclesiastes 1–12.
Popular Verses from Ecclesiastes
- Ecclesiastes 3:1 To every [thing there is] a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
- Ecclesiastes 3:11 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.
- Ecclesiastes 11:5 As thou knowest not what [is] the way of the spirit, [nor] how the bones [do grow] in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.
- Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this [is] the whole [duty] of man.
- Ecclesiastes 4:12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
- Ecclesiastes 12:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether [it be] good, or whether [it be] evil.
Bible Verse Topics Related to Ecclesiastes
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Frequently asked questions
What is the Book of Ecclesiastes about?
Ecclesiastes is a searching meditation on the meaning of life. The Preacher finds that human effort "under the sun" is vanity, and concludes that fearing God and keeping his commandments is life's true center.
How many chapters are in Ecclesiastes?
The Book of Ecclesiastes has 12 chapters and 222 verses in the King James Version (1769).