Ecclesiastes 11
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Value of Diligence
11 Send out your bread upon the waters,
for after many days you will get it back.(A)
2 Divide your means seven ways, or even eight,
for you do not know what disaster may happen on earth.(B)
3 When clouds are full,
they empty rain on the earth;
whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,
in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.
4 Whoever observes the wind will not sow,
and whoever regards the clouds will not reap.
5 Just as you do not know how the breath comes to the bones in the mother’s womb, so you do not know the work of God, who makes everything.(C)
6 In the morning sow your seed, and at evening do not let your hands be idle, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.(D)
Youth and Old Age
7 Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun.(E)
8 Even those who live many years should rejoice in them all, yet let them remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity.(F)
9 Rejoice, young man, while you are young, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Follow the inclination of your heart and the desire of your eyes, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.(G)
10 Banish anxiety from your mind, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.(H)
Ecclesiastes 11
International Standard Version
Preparing for the Future
11 Spread your bread on the water—
after a while you will find it.
2 Apportion what you have into seven, or even eight parts,
because you don’t know what disaster might befall the land.
3 If the clouds are full of rain,
they will pour out on the earth;
if a tree falls toward the south or the north,
wherever it falls, there it will lay.
4 Whoever keeps staring at the wind won’t sow;
whoever daydreams[a] won’t reap.
5 Just as you do not understand the way of the spirit
in the[b] womb of a pregnant mother,
so also you do not know
what God is doing in everything he makes.
6 Sow your seed in the morning,
and don’t stop working[c] until evening,
since you don’t know which of your endeavors will do well,
whether this one or that,
or even if both will do equally well.
Preparing for Old Age
7 How sweet is the daylight, and how pleasant it is for someone’s eyes to behold the sunshine! 8 Even if a person lives many years, let him enjoy them all, recalling that there will be many days of darkness to come—all of which are pointless. 9 So enjoy yourself in your youth, young man, and be encouraged during your younger days. Live as you like, consistent with your world view, but keep in mind that God will bring you to account for everything. 10 Banish sorrow from your heart, and evil from your body, since both childhood and the prime of life[d] are pointless.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 11:4 Lit. who stares at clouds
- Ecclesiastes 11:5 Lit. the bones in the
- Ecclesiastes 11:6 Lit. then give your hand no rest
- Ecclesiastes 11:10 Lit. dark hair
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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