Ecclesiastes 11

1 Cast thy bread upon the face of the waters; for after many days wilt thou find it again.

Send forth your bread on the face of the waters, For in the multitude of the days you find it.

2 Give a portion to seven, and also to eight: for thou knowest not what evil may come upon the earth.—

Give a portion to seven, and even to eight, For you do not know what evil is on the earth.

3 If the clouds be full of rain, they will empty it out upon the earth; and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, on the place where the tree falleth, there will it remain.

If the thick clouds are full of rain, On the earth they empty [themselves]; And if a tree falls in the south or to the north, The place where the tree falls, there it is.

4 He that watcheth the wind will not sow; and he that gazeth on the clouds will not reap.

Whoever is observing the wind does not sow, And whoever is looking on the thick clouds does not reap.

5 As thou knowest not which is the way of the wind, as little as what is enclosed in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou canst not know the works of God who maketh all.

As you do not know what [is] the way of the spirit, How—bones in the womb of the full one, So you do not know the work of God who makes the whole.

6 In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening let not thy hand rest; for thou knowest not which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both of them will be alike good.

In the morning sow your seed, And at evening do not withdraw your hand, For you do not know which is right, this or that, Or whether both of them alike [are] good.

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

Sweet also [is] the light, And good for the eyes to see the sun.

8 For if a man live [even] many years, let him rejoice in them all; and let him remember the days of darkness; for they will be many; all that cometh is vanity.

But if man lives many years, In all of them let him rejoice, And remember the days of darkness, For they are many! All that is coming [is] vanity.

9 Rejoice, O young man, in thy childhood; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youthful vigor, and walk firmly in the ways of thy heart, and in [the direction which] thy eyes see: but know thou, that concerning all these things God will bring thee into judgment.

Rejoice, O young man, in your childhood, And let your heart gladden you in days of your youth, And walk in the ways of your heart, And in the sight of your eyes, And know that for all these, God brings you into judgment.

10 And remove vexation from thy heart, and cause evil to pass away from thy body; for childhood and the time when the head is black are vanity.

And turn aside anger from your heart, And cause evil to pass from your flesh, For the childhood and the age [are] vanity!