Ecclesiastes 11

1 Cast your bread over running waters. For, after a long time, you shall find it again.

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

2 Give a portion to seven, and indeed even to eight. For you do not know what evil may be upon the earth in the future.

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

3 If the clouds have been filled, they will pour forth rain upon the earth. If a tree falls to the south, or to the north, or to whatever direction it may fall, there it shall remain.

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 Whoever heeds the wind will not sow. And whoever considers the clouds will never reap.

He that watcheth the wind will not sow, and he that gazeth upon the clouds will not reap.

5 In the same manner that you do not know the way of the spirit, nor the way that bones are joined together in the womb of a pregnant woman, so you do not know the works of God, who is the Maker of all.

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 In the morning, sow your seed, and in the evening, do not let your hand cease. For you do not know which of these may rise up, the one or the other. But if both rise up together, so much the better.

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 Light is pleasant, and it is delightful for the eyes to see the sun.

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

8 If a man lives for many years, and if he has rejoiced in all of these, he must remember the many days of the dark times, which, when they will have arrived, will accuse the past of vanity.

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 So then, rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart remain in what is good during the days of your youth. And walk in the ways of your heart, and with the perception of your eyes. And know that, concerning all these things, God will bring you to judgment.

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 Remove anger from your heart, and set aside evil from your flesh. For youth and pleasure are empty.

Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy body! for childhood and youth are vanity.