Ecclésiaste 11
1 Jette ton pain sur la face des eaux, car avec le temps tu le retrouveras;
Give generously to others [some of] the money [MET] that you have; if you do that, later you will get back an equal amount.
2 donnes-en une part à sept et même à huit, car tu ne sais pas quel malheur peut arriver sur la terre.
Share some of what you have with (seven or eight/several) [others], because you do not know when you will experience a disaster, [and if you give some of what you have to others], [when you experience that disaster, they will kindly help you].
3 Quand les nuages sont pleins de pluie, ils la répandent sur la terre; et si un arbre tombe, au midi ou au nord, il reste à la place où il est tombé.
[It is always true that] when clouds are full of water, they pour rain on the earth. [Similarly], wherever a tree falls on the ground, that is where it will remain.
4 Celui qui observe le vent ne sèmera point, et celui qui regarde les nuages ne moissonnera point.
If farmers see in what direction the wind is blowing, they will know whether it is wise at that time to plant things or not. [It is also true that] if farmers look at the clouds [and see that they are blowing from the west, which means that it will probably rain, ] they will not [try to] harvest their crops on that day.
5 Comme tu ne sais pas quel est le chemin du vent, ni comment se forment les os dans le ventre de la femme enceinte, tu ne connais pas non plus l’œuvre de Dieu qui fait tout.
We do not know where the wind comes from or where it goes, and we do not know how bodies are formed in women’s wombs. Similarly [SIM], God is the one who made everything, and we cannot [fully] understand what God does.
6 Dès le matin sème ta semence, et le soir ne laisse pas reposer ta main; car tu ne sais point ce qui réussira, ceci ou cela, ou si l’un et l’autre sont également bons.
[Start] planting your seeds in the morning, and do not stop planting them until the evening, because you do not know which ones will grow better, the ones you plant in the morning or the ones you plant later in the day, or whether both will grow well.
7 La lumière est douce, et il est agréable aux yeux de voir le soleil.
It is very delightful to be alive and see [MTY] the sun [rise every morning].
8 Si donc un homme vit beaucoup d’années, qu’il se réjouisse pendant toutes ces années, et qu’il pense aux jours de ténèbres qui seront nombreux; tout ce qui arrivera est vanité.
[Even] if people live for many years, they should enjoy all of them. But they should not forget that [some day they will die] and then they will never be able to see any light again, and we do not know what will happen to us after we die.
9 Jeune homme, réjouis-toi dans ta jeunesse, livre ton cœur à la joie pendant les jours de ta jeunesse, marche dans les voies de ton cœur et selon les regards de tes yeux; mais sache que pour tout cela Dieu t’appellera en jugement.
You young people, be happy while you are still young. Enjoy [IDM] doing the things that you want to do. But do not forget that [some day] God will judge you concerning all the things that you do.
10 Bannis de ton cœur le chagrin, et éloigne le mal de ton corps; car la jeunesse et l’aurore sont vanité.
[So when you are young] [MTY], do not worry about anything, and do not pay attention to the pains that you have in your body, because we will not remain young and strong forever.
