Verse 4

A time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance.

Other Translations

Referenced Verses

  • Exod 15:20 : 20 Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her with tambourines and dancing.
  • Rom 12:15 : 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.
  • John 16:20-22 : 20 Truly, truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 When a woman is in labor, she has sorrow because her time has come. But when she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the suffering because of the joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 So you also have sorrow now. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.
  • Ps 30:5 : 5 Sing praises to the LORD, you His faithful ones, and give thanks to His holy name.
  • 2 Cor 7:10 : 10 For godly sorrow produces repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow produces death.
  • Jas 4:9 : 9 Grieve, mourn and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.
  • Ps 126:5-6 : 5 Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. 6 The one who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will surely return with joyful shouting, carrying their sheaves.
  • Isa 22:12-13 : 12 In that day the Lord, the LORD of Hosts, called you to weeping, wailing, shaving your heads, and wearing sackcloth. 13 But behold, there is joy and gladness—killing cattle and slaughtering sheep, eating meat and drinking wine—saying, 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!'
  • Matt 9:15 : 15 Jesus answered them, 'Can the wedding guests mourn while the bridegroom is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.'
  • Matt 11:17 : 17 ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’
  • Luke 1:13-14 : 13 But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to name him John. 14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.
  • Luke 1:58 : 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they rejoiced with her.
  • Luke 6:21-25 : 21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22 Blessed are you when people hate you, exclude you, insult you, and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For behold, your reward is great in heaven, for that is how their ancestors treated the prophets. 24 But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. 25 Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.
  • 2 Sam 6:16 : 16 As the ark of the LORD entered the City of David, Michal, daughter of Saul, looked out from the window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart.
  • Neh 8:9-9 : 9 Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all of them, 'This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.' For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the Law. 10 Nehemiah said, 'Go and celebrate with rich foods and sweet drinks, and send portions to those who have nothing prepared. For this day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.' 11 The Levites calmed all the people by saying, 'Be still, for this is a holy day. Do not grieve.' 12 Then all the people went to eat, drink, send portions of food, and celebrate with great joy because they understood the words that had been made known to them.
  • Neh 9:1-9 : 1 On the twenty-fourth day of this month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting, wearing sackcloth, and putting dust on their heads. 2 The descendants of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, stood, and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their ancestors. 3 They stood in their places and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day, and for another quarter, they confessed and worshiped the LORD their God. 4 Standing on the platform of the Levites were Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and they cried out with a loud voice to the LORD their God. 5 Then the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah—said: Stand up and bless the LORD your God who is from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be Your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. 6 You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, the highest heavens, and all their hosts, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all things, and the host of heaven worships You. 7 You are the LORD God, who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham. 8 You found his heart faithful before You, and You made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites to his descendants. And You have kept Your promise because You are righteous. 9 You saw the oppression of our ancestors in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea. 10 You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all his officials, and all the people of his land, for You knew how arrogantly they treated them. And You made a name for Yourself that endures to this day. 11 You divided the sea before them, and they passed through it on dry ground. But You cast their pursuers into the depths like a stone into mighty waters. 12 By day, You led them with a pillar of cloud and by night with a pillar of fire, to give them light for the path they should follow. 13 You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke to them from heaven. You gave them upright judgments, true laws, good statutes, and commandments. 14 You made Your holy Sabbath known to them, and You gave them commandments, statutes, and laws through Your servant Moses. 15 You provided bread from heaven for their hunger and brought water out of a rock for their thirst. You told them to go in and take possession of the land You had sworn to give them. 16 But they, our ancestors, acted arrogantly. They stiffened their necks and did not obey Your commandments. 17 They refused to listen and did not remember the wonders You performed among them. They stiffened their necks and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abundant in faithful love, and You did not abandon them. 18 Even when they made a molten calf for themselves and said, 'This is your god who brought you out of Egypt,' and they committed terrible blasphemies, 19 You, in Your great mercy, did not abandon them in the wilderness. During the day, the pillar of cloud did not depart to guide them on their way, nor did the pillar of fire by night to give them light for the path they should take. 20 You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold manna from their mouths, and You provided water for their thirst. 21 For forty years You sustained them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell. 22 You gave them kingdoms and nations, dividing them into regions. They took possession of the land of Sihon, the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og, king of Bashan. 23 You multiplied their descendants like the stars of heaven and brought them to the land You had promised their ancestors they would enter and take possession of. 24 Their descendants went in and took possession of the land. You subdued the inhabitants of the land—the Canaanites—before them and handed their kings and the peoples of the land over to them, to do with as they desired. 25 They captured fortified cities and fertile land. They took possession of houses filled with every good thing, hewn cisterns, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. They ate, were satisfied, grew fat, and delighted themselves in Your great goodness. 26 But they were disobedient and rebelled against You. They cast Your law behind their backs and killed Your prophets who warned them to turn back to You. They committed terrible blasphemies. 27 So You handed them over to their enemies, who oppressed them. But in their time of distress, they cried out to You, and You heard from heaven. In Your great mercy, You gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the hand of their enemies. 28 But as soon as they had rest, they returned to doing evil in Your sight. So You abandoned them to their enemies, who ruled over them. Yet when they again cried out to You, You heard from heaven and rescued them many times in Your abundant mercy. 29 You warned them to return to Your law, but they acted arrogantly and did not obey Your commandments. They sinned against Your judgments, which, if a person does, they will live by them. Stubbornly, they turned their backs, stiffened their necks, and would not listen. 30 For many years, You were patient with them. You warned them by Your Spirit through Your prophets, yet they would not listen. So You gave them into the hands of the peoples of the lands. 31 Still, in Your great mercies, You did not utterly destroy them or abandon them, for You are a gracious and merciful God. 32 Now therefore, our God, the great, mighty, and awesome God who keeps His covenant and steadfast love, do not let the hardship that has come upon us—on our kings, leaders, priests, prophets, ancestors, and on all Your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until today—seem insignificant to You. 33 You are righteous in all that has happened to us, because You have acted faithfully while we have acted wickedly. 34 Our kings, leaders, priests, and ancestors did not obey Your law or pay attention to Your commandments and warnings You gave them. 35 Even while they were in their kingdom, enjoying Your abundant goodness and the spacious, fertile land You gave them, they did not serve You or turn from their evil deeds. 36 Here we are today, slaves in the land You gave to our ancestors so they could enjoy its fruit and its goodness—here we are, slaves in it! 37 Its abundant harvest goes to the kings You have set over us because of our sins. They rule over our bodies and our livestock as they please, and we are in great distress.
  • Ps 126:1-2 : 1 When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion, we were like those who dream. 2 Then our mouths were filled with laughter, and our tongues with joyful songs. Then it was said among the nations, 'The LORD has done great things for them.'
  • Gen 21:6 : 6 Sarah said, 'God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.'