Ecclesiastes 11

1 Cast thy bread-corn, upon the face of the waters, —for, after many days, shalt thou find it:

Send your bread out on the surface of the water, and many days later you will find it again.

2 Give a portion to seven, yea even to eight, —for thou canst not know, what there shall be of misfortune, upon the earth.

Share what you own with seven or eight people, for you never know what disaster could happen.

3 If the clouds be filled with a downpour, upon the earth, will they empty themselves, and, if a tree fall in the south or in the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there will it be found.

When the clouds are full they pour rain down upon the earth. Whether a tree falls to the north or to the south, it stays where it fell.

4 He that observeth the wind, will not sow, —and, he that watcheth the clouds, will not reap.

The farmer who pays attention to the direction of the wind knows when not to sow, and by watching the clouds knows when not to reap.

5 Just as thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, when the body is in the womb of her that is with child, even, so, canst thou not know the work of God, who maketh all.

Just as you don't know how the breath of life comes to the child in its mother's womb, so you can't understand the work of God, the Creator of everything.

6 In the morning, sow thy seed, and, until evening, do not withhold thy hand, —for thou knowest not—whether shall thrive, either this or that, or whether, both alike, shall be fruitful.

In the morning, sow your seed. In the evening, don't stop. For you have no way of knowing which crop will grow well—one may be profitable, or the other—or maybe both.

7 Truly sweet is the light, —and, pleasant to the eyes, to see the sun:

How sweet it is to live in the light, to see the sun rise on another day.

8 But, though, many years, a man live, through them all, let him rejoice; yet let him remember the days of darkness, for many they may be, all that cometh, may be vanity.

May you live for many years, and may you enjoy them all. But remember there will many days of darkness, and all that is to come is uncertain.

9 Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart gladden thee in the days of thine early manhood, and walk thou—in the ways of thine own heart, and in that which is seen by thine own eyes, —yet know, that, for all these things, will God bring thee into judgment.

Young people, enjoy your youth! Be happy with what's good! While you're young, let your mind guide your life, and do as you think best. But remember that God will judge you for all your thoughts and actions.

10 Therefore remove thou vexation from thy heart, and put away discomfort from thy flesh, —for, youth and dawn, are vanity!

So don't let your mind worry, and avoid things that hurt your body. Even so, despite youth and enthusiasm, life is still so hard to understand!