Ecclesiastes 3:8 “a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace…”

Ecclesiastes 3:8

a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

Berean Standard Bible

Other translations

King James Version

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

World English Bible

a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

American Standard Version

a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

Geneva Bible 1599

A time to loue, and a time to hate: a time of warre, and a time of peace.

Darby Translation

A time to love, and a time to hate; A time of war, and a time of peace.

Young's Literal Translation

A time to love, And a time to hate. A time of war, And a time of peace.

Bible in Basic English

A time for love and a time for hate; a time for war and a time for peace.

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Cross references

“time to love”

Ephesians 5:25 Psalm 139:21 Ephesians 3:19 Titus 2:4 Ezekiel 16:8 Ephesians 5:28

Ephesians 5:25 · BSB

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her

Psalm 139:21 · BSB

Do I not hate those who hate You, O LORD, and detest those who rise against You?

Ephesians 3:19 · BSB

of the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Titus 2:4 · BSB

In this way they can train the young women to love their husbands and children,

Ezekiel 16:8 · BSB

Then I passed by and saw you, and you were indeed old enough for love. So I spread My cloak over you and covered your nakedness. I pledged Myself to you, entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine, declares th…

Ephesians 5:28 · BSB

In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

“a time to hate”

Luke 14:26 2 Chronicles 19:2 Revelation 2:2

Luke 14:26 · BSB

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.

2 Chronicles 19:2 · BSB

Jehu son of Hanani the seer went out to confront him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Because of this, the wrath of the LORD is upon you.

Revelation 2:2 · BSB

I know your deeds, your labor, and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate those who are evil, and you have tested and exposed as liars those who falsely claim to be apostles.

“a time of war”

1 Kings 5:4 Genesis 14:14–17 Joshua 8:1–29 Joshua 11:23 2 Samuel 10:6–19 2 Chronicles 20:1–29

1 Kings 5:4 · BSB

But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or crisis.

Genesis 14:14–17 · BSB

And when Abram heard that his relative had been captured, he mobilized the 318 trained men born in his household, and they set out in pursuit as far as Dan.

Joshua 8:1–29 · BSB

Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. See, I have delivered into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.

Joshua 11:23 · BSB

So Joshua took the entire land, in keeping with all that the LORD had spoken to Moses. And Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to the allotments to their tribes. Then the land had rest from war.

2 Samuel 10:6–19 · BSB

When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench to David, they hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth-rehob and Zoba, as well as a thousand men from the king of Maacah and twelve thousand men fro…

2 Chronicles 20:1–29 · BSB

After this, the Moabites and Ammonites, together with some of the Meunites, came to make war against Jehoshaphat.

Cross references adapted from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0) and the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

In context

7a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,

9What does the worker gain from his toil?

Read Ecclesiastes 3