Ecclesiastes 11

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

Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again.

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

Divide your portion among seven, or even eight, for you do not know what disaster may befall the land.

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.

If the clouds are full, they will pour out rain upon the earth; whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there it will lie.

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

He who watches the wind will fail to sow, and he who observes the clouds will fail to reap.

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.

As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the bones are formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.

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.

Sow your seed in the morning, and do not rest your hands in the evening, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or if both will equally prosper.

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

Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.

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.

So if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all. But let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything to come is futile.

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.

Rejoice, O young man, while you are young, and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth. 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 to judgment.

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

So banish sorrow from your heart, and cast off pain from your body, for youth and vigor are fleeting.