Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 Quotes
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To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
Context
Ecclesiastes is the Bible's little philosophical commercial break, a "The More You Know" between Proverbs and Song of Solomon.
This is the part where Ecclesiastes pretty much tells everyone to chill out. You can't expect happiness all the time: there's a time to laugh (like at your favorite sitcom) and a time to mourn (when it's canceled).
Everything balances out, and everything comes full circle.
Where you've heard it
Speaking of chilling out, 1960s hippie-dippie folk band The Byrds popularized this verse with their song "Turn! Turn! Turn!" in 1965; however, they emphasize the "time of peace" at the end, turning these verses into a plea for world calm.
John Grisham's first novel, A Time to Kill, also takes its title from this verse. He should have called the sequel A Time to Heal instead of Sycamore Row.
Pretentious Factor
If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.
This verse is too Zen to be pretentious.