< 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 thy bread upon the face of the waters; for after many days wilt thou find it again.
2 Give a portion to seven, and even to eight, For thou knowest not what evil is on the earth.
Give a portion to seven, and also to eight: for thou knowest not what evil may come upon the earth.—
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 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.
4 Whoso is observing the wind soweth not, And whoso is looking on the thick clouds reapeth not.
He that watcheth the wind will not sow; and he that gazeth on the clouds will not 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 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.
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.
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.
7 Sweet also [is] the light, And good for the eyes to see the sun.
Truly the light is sweet, and it is a pleasant thing for 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.
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.
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, 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.
10 And turn aside anger from thy heart, And cause evil to pass from thy flesh, For the childhood and the age [are] vanity!
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.