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Live Boldly

11 Throw your bread on the surface of the water, because you will find it again after many days.

Divide what you have into seven parts, or even into eight, because you don’t know what disaster may happen on earth.

If the clouds are full of rain, they will let it pour down on the earth. If a tree falls north or south, the tree will remain where it fell.

Whoever watches the wind will never plant. Whoever looks at the clouds will never harvest.

Just as you don’t know how the breath of life enters the limbs of a child within its mother’s womb, you also don’t understand how God, who made everything, works.

Plant your seed in the morning, and don’t let your hands rest until evening. You don’t know whether this field or that field will be profitable or whether both of them will ⌞turn out⌟ equally well.

Light is sweet, and it is good for one’s eyes to see the sun. Even though people may live for many years, they should enjoy every one of them. But they should also remember there will be many dark days. Everything that is coming is pointless.

Remember Your Creator While You’re Young

You young people should enjoy yourselves while you’re young. You should let your hearts make you happy when you’re young. Follow wherever your heart leads you and whatever your eyes see. But realize that God will make you give an account for all these things when he judges everyone. 10 Get rid of what troubles you or wears down your body, because childhood and youth are pointless.

Cast Your Bread upon the Waters

11 (A)Cast your bread upon the waters,
    (B)for you will find it after many days.
(C)Give a portion to (D)seven, or even to eight,
    (E)for you know not what disaster may happen on earth.
If the clouds are full of rain,
    they empty themselves on the earth,
and if a tree falls to the south or to the north,
    in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.
He who observes the wind will not sow,
    and he who regards the clouds will not reap.

As you do not know the way (F)the spirit comes to (G)the bones in the womb[a] of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.

In the morning sow your seed, and at evening (H)withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.

Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to (I)see the sun.

So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember (J)that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is (K)vanity.[b]

(L)Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. (M)Walk in the ways of your heart and (N)the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things (O)God will bring you into judgment.

10 Remove vexation from your heart, and (P)put away pain[c] from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 11:5 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Targum; most Hebrew manuscripts As you do not know the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb
  2. Ecclesiastes 11:8 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also verse 10 (see note on 1:2)
  3. Ecclesiastes 11:10 Or evil

11 Echa tu pan sobre las aguas; porque después de muchos días lo hallarás. Reparte a siete, y aun a ocho; porque no sabes el mal que vendrá sobre la tierra. Si las nubes fueren llenas de agua, sobre la tierra la derramarán; y si el árbol cayere al sur, o al norte, en el lugar que el árbol cayere, allí quedará. El que al viento observa, no sembrará; y el que mira a las nubes, no segará.

Como tú no sabes cuál es el camino del viento, o cómo crecen los huesos en el vientre de la mujer encinta, así ignoras la obra de Dios, el cual hace todas las cosas.

Por la mañana siembra tu semilla, y a la tarde no dejes reposar tu mano; porque no sabes cuál es lo mejor, si esto o aquello, o si lo uno y lo otro es igualmente bueno.

Suave ciertamente es la luz, y agradable a los ojos ver el sol; pero aunque un hombre viva muchos años, y en todos ellos tenga gozo, acuérdese sin embargo que los días de las tinieblas serán muchos. Todo cuanto viene es vanidad.

Consejos para la juventud

Alégrate, joven, en tu juventud, y tome placer tu corazón en los días de tu adolescencia; y anda en los caminos de tu corazón y en la vista de tus ojos; pero sabe, que sobre todas estas cosas te juzgará Dios.

10 Quita, pues, de tu corazón el enojo, y aparta de tu carne el mal; porque la adolescencia y la juventud son vanidad.

11 Отпускай хлеб твой по водам, потому что по прошествии многих дней опять найдешь его.

Давай часть семи и даже восьми, потому что не знаешь, какая беда будет на земле.

Когда облака будут полны, то они прольют на землю дождь; и если упадет дерево на юг или на север, то оно там и останется, куда упадет.

Кто наблюдает ветер, тому не сеять; и кто смотрит на облака, тому не жать.

Как ты не знаешь путей ветра и того, как [образуются] кости во чреве беременной, так не можешь знать дело Бога, Который делает все.

Утром сей семя твое, и вечером не давай отдыха руке твоей, потому что ты не знаешь, то или другое будет удачнее, или то и другое равно хорошо будет.

Сладок свет, и приятно для глаз видеть солнце.

Если человек проживет [и] много лет, то пусть веселится он в продолжение всех их, и пусть помнит о днях темных, которых будет много: все, что будет, --суета!

Веселись, юноша, в юности твоей, и да вкушает сердце твое радости во дни юности твоей, и ходи по путям сердца твоего и по видению очей твоих; только знай, что за все это Бог приведет тебя на суд.

10 И удаляй печаль от сердца твоего, и уклоняй злое от тела твоего, потому что детство и юность--суета.

11 Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.

Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.

If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.

He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.

As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.

In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun:

But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.

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 thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.

10 Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.