Pengkhotbah 11
1 Tanamlah uangmu dalam usaha di luar negeri. Pasti kaudapat untung di kemudian hari.
Cast thy bread upon the waters; for after many days thou shalt find it.
2 Tanamlah modalmu di berbagai niaga; carilah usaha sebanyak-banyaknya. Sebab orang perlu waspada, sebelum musibah menimpa.
Give a portion to seven, yea, to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.
3 Ke arah mana pun pohon itu rubuh, tetap akan terbaring di tempat ia jatuh. Bila awan mengandung air hingga sarat, hujan pun turun ke bumi dengan lebat.
When the clouds are full of rain, they empty upon the earth; and when a tree falleth to the south or the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.
4 Siapa menunggu sampai angin dan cuaca sempurna, tak akan menanam dan tidak pula memetik hasilnya.
He that watcheth the wind will not sow, and he that gazeth upon the clouds will not reap.
5 Allah membuat segala-galanya, dan manusia tak dapat memahami tindakan-Nya; begitu pula ia tak mengerti tumbuhnya kehidupan baru di dalam kandungan seorang ibu.
As thou knowest not the way of the wind, nor how the bones are formed in the womb of her that is with child, so thou canst not know the work of God, who doeth all things.
6 Taburlah benihmu di waktu pagi dan janganlah berhenti di malam hari. Sebab kita tak tahu taburan mana yang baik tumbuhnya. Barangkali juga keduanya tumbuh dengan sempurna.
In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thy hand! For thou knowest not whether this shall prosper, or that, or whether both of them shall be alike good.
7 Sinar matahari membuat bahagia; alangkah senangnya bila dapat menikmatinya.
Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun.
8 Hendaklah engkau bersyukur kalau bertambah umur. Tapi ingat, biar engkau hidup lama di bumi, masamu di alam maut masih lebih lama lagi. Jadi, apa yang mau diharapkan pula? Semuanya percuma dan sia-sia.
Yea, though a man live many years, let him rejoice in them all, and let him think of the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.
9 Nikmatilah masa mudamu, hai pemuda! Bergembiralah selama engkau masih remaja. Penuhilah segala hasrat jiwamu, laksanakanlah semua niat hatimu. Tetapi ingat, Allah yang ada di surga, kelak mengadili tindakanmu semua.
Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes! but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.
10 Usirlah khawatir dan susah dari hatimu, sebab masa mudamu cepat berlalu.
Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy body! for childhood and youth are vanity.
