Ecclesiastes 11
Revised Standard Version
The Value of Diligence
11 Cast your bread upon the waters,
for you will find it after many days.
2 Give a portion to seven, or even to eight,
for you know not what evil may happen on earth.
3 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.
4 He who observes the wind will not sow;
and he who regards the clouds will not reap.
5 As you do not know how the spirit comes to the bones in the womb[a] of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.
6 In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand; for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.
Youth and Old Age
7 Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to behold the sun.
8 For if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity.
9 Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.
10 Remove vexation from your mind, and put away pain from your body; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 11:5 Or As you do not know the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb
Ecclesiastes 11
American Standard Version
11 [a]Cast thy bread [b]upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days. 2 [c]Give a portion to seven, yea, even unto eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. 3 If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth; and if a tree fall [d]toward the south, or [e]toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there shall it be. 4 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. 5 As thou knowest not what is the way of the [f]wind, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child; even so thou knowest not the work of God who doeth all. 6 In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thy hand; for thou knowest not which shall prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good. 7 Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun. 8 [g]Yea, if a man live many years, let him rejoice in them all; [h]but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity. 9 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 Therefore remove [i]sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 11:1 Or, Send forth
- Ecclesiastes 11:1 Hebrew upon the face of the waters.
- Ecclesiastes 11:2 Or, Divide a portion into seven, yea, even into eight
- Ecclesiastes 11:3 Or, in
- Ecclesiastes 11:3 Or, in
- Ecclesiastes 11:5 Or, spirit
- Ecclesiastes 11:8 Or, For
- Ecclesiastes 11:8 Or, and remember
- Ecclesiastes 11:10 Or, vexation. Or, provocation
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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