« | Ecclesiastes 3 | » |
1 There is a right time for everything, and everything on earth will happen at the right time.
2 There is a time to be born and a time to die. There is a time to plant and a time to pull up plants.
3 There is a time to kill and a time to heal. There is a time to destroy and a time to build.
4 There is a time to cry and a time to laugh. There is a time to be sad and a time to dance with joy.
5 There is a time to throw weapons down and a time to pick them up. There is a time to hug someone and a time to stop holding so tightly.
6 There is a time to look for something and a time to consider it lost. There is a time to keep things and a time to throw things away.
7 There is a time to tear cloth and a time to sew it. There is a time to be silent and a time to speak.
8 There is a time to love and a time to hate. There is a time for war and a time for peace.
9 Do people really gain anything from their hard work?
10 I saw all the hard work God gave us to do.
11 God gave us the ability to think about his world, but we can never completely understand everything he does. And yet, he does everything at just the right time.
12 I learned that the best thing for people to do is to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live.
13 God wants everyone to eat, drink, and enjoy their work. These are gifts from God.
14 I learned that anything God does will continue forever. People cannot add anything to the work of God, and they cannot take anything away from it. God did this so that people would respect him.
15 What happened in the past has happened, and what will happen in the future will happen. But God wants to help those who have been treated badly.
16 I also saw these things in this life: I saw that the courts should be filled with goodness and fairness, but there is evil there now.
17 So I said to myself, "God has planned a time for everything, and he has planned a time to judge everything people do. He will judge good people and bad people."
18 I thought about what people do to each other. And I said to myself, "God wants people to see that they are like animals.
19 The same thing happens to animals and to people—they die. People and animals have the same 'breath.' Is a dead animal different from a dead person? It is all so senseless!
20 The bodies of people and animals end the same way. They came from the earth, and, in the end, they will go back to the earth.
21 Who knows what happens to a person's spirit? Who knows if a human's spirit goes up to God while an animal's spirit goes down into the ground?"
22 So I saw that the best thing people can do is to enjoy what they do, because that is all they have. Besides, no one can help another person see what will happen in the future.
The Easy-To-Read Version (ERV)
The Easy-To-Read Version (ERV) is a Bible translation specifically designed to be accessible and comprehensible for people with limited reading skills or those for whom English is a second language. Originally published in 1987 by the World Bible Translation Center, the ERV was initially developed to serve the deaf community, using a simplified vocabulary and straightforward sentence structures. The goal of the ERV is to make the scriptures understandable to a wide range of readers, ensuring that everyone can grasp the essential messages of the Bible without being hindered by complex language or archaic terms.
One of the defining characteristics of the ERV is its commitment to clarity and simplicity. The translators employed a thought-for-thought translation philosophy, focusing on conveying the meaning of the original texts in plain, everyday English. This approach ensures that readers can easily comprehend the Bible’s teachings and narratives, making it a valuable resource for children, new Christians, and those with limited literacy skills. The ERV avoids technical theological terms and instead uses language that is commonly spoken, making it accessible for personal study and public reading alike.
The ERV also pays careful attention to the cultural and contextual nuances of the original manuscripts. The translators sought to present the Bible’s messages in a way that is relevant and meaningful to contemporary readers while maintaining faithfulness to the original texts. This cultural sensitivity helps bridge the gap between ancient scriptures and modern readers, allowing them to connect more deeply with the biblical stories and teachings. Additionally, the ERV includes helpful footnotes and cross-references that provide further explanation and context, enhancing the reader’s understanding of the text.
Despite its strengths, the ERV has faced some criticism from those who prefer more traditional or literal translations. Critics argue that the simplified language and thought-for-thought approach can sometimes result in a loss of depth and richness found in the original texts. Some theologians believe that the ERV’s emphasis on accessibility may lead to oversimplification of complex theological concepts. Nonetheless, the Easy-To-Read Version remains a highly valuable translation for its target audience, offering a clear and approachable rendition of the Bible that helps people of all backgrounds engage with and understand the scriptures.