Ecclesiastes 11

1 Sende thi breed on watris passynge forth, for aftir many tymes thou schalt fynde it.

把你的糧食拋到水面，多日後你必有所獲。

2 Yyue thou partis seuene, and also eiyte; for thou woost not, what yuel schal come on erthe.

將你的家產分作七分八分，因為你不知道世上要發生什麼災禍。

3 If cloudis ben filled, tho schulen schede out reyn on the erthe; if a tre fallith doun to the south, ether to the north, in what euer place it fallith doun, there it schal be.

雲一滿了，雨就傾住於地。樹倒向南或倒向北，一倒在那裏，就躺在那裏。

4 He that aspieth the wynd, sowith not; and he that biholdith the cloudis, schal neuere repe.

觀察風向的，必不撒種；研究雲象的，必不收割，

5 As thou knowist not, which is the weye of the spirit, and bi what resoun boonys ben ioyned togidere in the wombe of a womman with childe, so thou knowist not the werkis of God, which is makere of alle thingis.

就如你不知道生氣如何進入孕婦胎中的骨骼裏，同樣你也不知道天主所創造的一切化工。

6 Eerli sowe thi seed, and thin hond ceesse not in the euentid; for thou woost not, what schal come forth more, this ethir that; and if euer eithir cometh forth togidere, it schal be the betere.

你早上撒種，晚上也不要住手，因為你不知道：是早上撒的，或是晚上撒的長的好，或是兩種都同樣好。

7 The liyt is sweet, and delitable to the iyen to se the sunne.

光明實在可愛，看見太陽實在令眼舒暢。

8 If a man lyueth many yeeris, and is glad in alle these, he owith to haue mynde of derk tyme, and of many daies; and whanne tho schulen come, thingis passid schulen be repreued of vanyte.

人無論活了多大年紀，儘可享受各種福樂；但他應想到黑暗的日子還多，所發生的事，盡屬虛幻。

9 Therfor, thou yonge man, be glad in thi yongthe, and thin herte be in good in the daies of thi yongthe, and go thou in the weies of thin herte, and in the biholdyng of thin iyen; and wite thou, that for alle these thingis God shal brynge thee in to doom.

少年人，在你青春時應歡樂；在你少壯的時日，應心神愉快；隨你心所欲，你眼所悅的去行，但應知道：天主必要就你所行的一切審判你。

10 Do thou awei ire fro thin herte, and remoue thou malice fro thi fleisch; for whi yongthe and lust ben veyne thingis.

掃除你心中的煩惱，驅除你身上的痛苦，因為青春和少年都是虛幻。