Ecclesiastes 11
1 Cast thy bread upon the running waters: for after a long time thou shalt find it again.
Tanamlah uangmu dalam usaha di luar negeri. Pasti kaudapat untung di kemudian hari.
2 Give a portion to seven, and also to eight: for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.
Tanamlah modalmu di berbagai niaga; carilah usaha sebanyak-banyaknya. Sebab orang perlu waspada, sebelum musibah menimpa.
3 If the clouds be full, they will pour out rain upon the earth. If the tree fall to the south, or to the north, in what place soever it shall fall, there shall it be.
Ke arah mana pun pohon itu rubuh, tetap akan terbaring di tempat ia jatuh. Bila awan mengandung air hingga sarat, hujan pun turun ke bumi dengan lebat.
4 He that observeth the wind, shall not sow: and he that considereth the clouds, shall never reap.
Siapa menunggu sampai angin dan cuaca sempurna, tak akan menanam dan tidak pula memetik hasilnya.
5 As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones are joined together in the womb of her that is with child: so thou knowest not the works of God, who is the maker of all.
Allah membuat segala-galanya, dan manusia tak dapat memahami tindakan-Nya; begitu pula ia tak mengerti tumbuhnya kehidupan baru di dalam kandungan seorang ibu.
6 In the morning sow thy seed, and In the evening let not thy hand cease: for thou knowest not which may rather spring up, this or that: and if both together, it shall be the better.
Taburlah benihmu di waktu pagi dan janganlah berhenti di malam hari. Sebab kita tak tahu taburan mana yang baik tumbuhnya. Barangkali juga keduanya tumbuh dengan sempurna.
7 The light is sweet, and it is delightful for the eyes to see the sun.
Sinar matahari membuat bahagia; alangkah senangnya bila dapat menikmatinya.
8 If a man live many years, and have rejoiced in them all, he must remember the darksome time, and the many days: which when they shall come, the things past shall be accused of vanity.
Hendaklah engkau bersyukur kalau bertambah umur. Tapi ingat, biar engkau hidup lama di bumi, masamu di alam maut masih lebih lama lagi. Jadi, apa yang mau diharapkan pula? Semuanya percuma dan sia-sia.
9 Rejoice therefore, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart be in that which is good in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thy eyes: and know that for all these God will bring thee into judgment.
Nikmatilah masa mudamu, hai pemuda! Bergembiralah selama engkau masih remaja. Penuhilah segala hasrat jiwamu, laksanakanlah semua niat hatimu. Tetapi ingat, Allah yang ada di surga, kelak mengadili tindakanmu semua.
10 Remove anger from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh. For youth and pleasure are vain.
Usirlah khawatir dan susah dari hatimu, sebab masa mudamu cepat berlalu.
