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 on the waters; for you shall find it after many days.
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, yes, even to eight; for you don’t know what evil will be on 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 are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth; and if a tree falls toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falls, there shall it be.
4 Whoso is observing the wind soweth not, And whoso is looking on the thick clouds reapeth not.
He who observes the wind won’t sow; and he who regards the clouds won’t 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 don’t know what is the way of the wind, nor how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child; even so you don’t know the work of God who does 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 your seed, and in the evening don’t withhold your hand; for you don’t know which will prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both will be equally 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.
Yes, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that comes 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, young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and 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 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!
Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.
