الجامِعَة 11

١ 1 اطْرَحْ خُبْزَكَ عَلَى وَجْهِ الْمِيَاهِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَجِدُهُ بَعْدَ أَيَّامٍ كَثِيرَةٍ.

Cast your bread on the waters; for you shall find it after many days.

٢ 2 وَزِّعْ أَنْصِبَةً عَلَى سَبْعَةٍ بَلْ عَلَى ثَمَانِيَةٍ، لأَنَّكَ لَا تَدْرِي أَيَّةَ بَلِيَّةٍ تَحُلُّ عَلَى الأَرْضِ.

Give a portion to seven, yes, even to eight; for you do not know what evil will be on the earth.

٣ 3 إِذَا كَانَتِ السُّحُبُ مُثْقَلَةً بِالْمِيَاهِ فَإِنَّهَا تَصُبُّ الْمَطَرَ عَلَى الأَرْضِ، وَإِنْ سَقَطَتْ شَجَرَةٌ بِاتِّجَاهِ الشِّمَالِ أَوِ الْجَنُوبِ فَإِنَّهَا تَظَلُّ مُسْتَقِرَّةً حَيْثُ سَقَطَتْ.

If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth; and if a tree falls toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falls, there shall it be.

٤ 4 مَنْ يَرْصُدِ الرِّيحَ لَا يَزْرَعْ، وَمَنْ يُرَاقِبِ السُّحُبَ لَا يَحْصُدْ.

He who observes the wind won't sow; and he who regards the clouds won't reap.

٥ 5 كَمَا تَجْهَلُ اتِّجَاهَ مَسَارِ الرِّيحِ، أَوْ كَيْفَ تَتَكَوَّنُ عِظَامُ الْجَنِينِ فِي رَحِمِ الأُمِّ، كَذَلِكَ لَا تُدْرِكُ أَعْمَالَ اللهِ الَّتِي يُجْرِيهَا كُلَّهَا.

As you do not know what is the way of the wind, nor how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child; even so you do not know the work of God who does all.

٦ 6 ازْرَعْ زَرْعَكَ فِي الصَّبَاحِ، وَلا تَكُفَّ يَدَكَ عَنِ الْعَمَلِ فِي الْمَسَاءِ، لأَنَّكَ لَا تَدْرِي أَيُّهُمَا يُفْلِحُ: أَهَذَا الْمَزْرُوعُ فِي الصَّبَاحِ أَمْ ذَاكَ الَّذِي فِي الْمَسَاءِ، أَمْ كِلاهُمَا عَلَى حَدٍّ سَوَاءٍ؟

In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand; for you do not know which will prosper, whether this or that, or whether they will both be equally good.

٧ 7 النُّورُ مُبْهِجٌ، وَكَمْ يَلَذُّ لِلْعَيْنَيْنِ أَنْ تَرَيَا الشَّمْسَ.

Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to see the sun.

٨ 8 إِنْ عَاشَ الإِنْسَانُ سِنِينَ كَثِيرَةً وَتَمَتَّعَ فِيهَا جَمِيعاً، فَلْيَتَذَكَّرِ الأَيَّامَ السَّوْدَاءَ، لأَنَّهَا سَتَكُونُ عَدِيدَةً. وَبَاطِلٌ كُلُّ مَا هُوَ آتٍ!

Yes, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity.

٩ 9 افْرَحْ أَيُّهَا الشَّابُّ فِي حَدَاثَتِكَ، وَلْيُمَتِّعْكَ قَلْبُكَ فِي أَيَّامِ شَبَابِكَ، وَاتْبَعْ أَهْوَاءَ قَلْبِكَ، وَكُلَّ مَا تَشْهَدُهُ عَيْنَاكَ. وَلَكِنِ اعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ بِسَبَبِ هَذِهِ الأُمُورِ كُلِّهَا يَأْتِي اللهُ بِكَ إِلَى كُرْسِيِّ الْقَضَاءِ.

Rejoice, young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

١٠ 10 فَأَزِلِ الْغَمَّ مِنْ صَدْرِكَ، وَأقْصِ الشَّرَّ عَنْ جَسَدِكَ، لأَنَّ الْحَدَاثَةَ وَالشَّبَابَ بَاطِلانِ.

Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.