Ecclesiastes 11

1 Send forth thy bread on the face of the waters, For in the multitude of the days thou dost find it.

當將你的糧食撒在水面， 因為日久必能得着。

2 Give a portion to seven, and even to eight, For thou knowest not what evil is on the earth.

你要分給七人，或分給八人， 因為你不知道將來有甚麼災禍臨到地上。

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

雲若滿了雨，就必傾倒在地上。 樹若向南倒，或向北倒， 樹倒在何處，就存在何處。

4 Whoso is observing the wind soweth not, And whoso is looking on the thick clouds reapeth not.

看風的，必不撒種； 望雲的，必不收割。

5 As thou knowest not what [is] the way of the spirit, How — bones in the womb of the full one, So thou knowest not the work of God who maketh the whole.

風從何道來，骨頭在懷孕婦人的胎中如何長成，你尚且不得知道；這樣，行萬事之上帝的作為，你更不得知道。

6 In the morning sow thy seed, And at even withdraw not thy hand, For thou knowest not which is right, this or that, Or whether both of them alike [are] good.

早晨要撒你的種，晚上也不要歇你的手，因為你不知道哪一樣發旺；或是早撒的，或是晚撒的，或是兩樣都好。

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

光本是佳美的，眼見日光也是可悅的。

8 But, if man liveth 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.

人活多年，就當快樂多年；然而也當想到黑暗的日子。因為這日子必多，所要來的都是虛空。

9 Rejoice, O young man, in thy childhood, And let thy heart gladden thee in days of thy youth, And walk in the ways of thy heart, And in the sight of thine eyes, And know thou that for all these, Doth God bring thee into judgment.

少年人哪，你在幼年時當快樂。在幼年的日子，使你的心歡暢，行你心所願行的，看你眼所愛看的；卻要知道，為這一切的事，上帝必審問你。

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

所以，你當從心中除掉愁煩，從肉體克去邪惡；因為一生的開端和幼年之時，都是虛空的。