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Ecclesiastes 11

Cast your bread on the waters, and after many days you will find it again. Give a portion to seven, and to eight as well, because you don't know what disaster may come on the land. If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth. And whether a tree falls to the south or the north, wherever it falls, there it stays. The

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Cast your bread on the waters

Cast your bread on the waters, and after many days you will find it again. Give a portion to seven, and to eight as well, because you don't know what disaster may come on the land. If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth. And whether a tree falls to the south or the north, wherever it falls, there it stays. The man who watches the wind will never sow, and the man who studies the clouds will never reap. As you don't know the way of the spirit, or how the bones grow in the womb of a woman with child, so you don't know the works of God, who makes everything. Sow your seed in the morning, and don't hold your hand back in the evening, because you don't know which will do well, this or that — or whether both will do equally well. The light is sweet, and it is a pleasant thing for the eyes to see the sun. But if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all — and let him remember the days of darkness, because there will be many. Everything that comes is empty. Be glad, young man, while you're young. Let your heart enjoy the days of your youth. Follow where your heart leads and what looks good to you — but remember that God will call you to account for all of it. So remove sorrow from your heart and put evil away from your flesh, because childhood and youth are fleeting.

Cast your bread on the waters, because you'll find it after plenty of days. Give a share to seven and to eight too, because you don't know what trouble will be on the earth. If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth. And if a tree falls towards the south or towards the north, in the place where the tree falls, that's where it'll be. The one who watches the wind won't sow, and the one who looks at the clouds won't reap. The way you don't know what the way of the spirit is, or how the bones grow in the womb of the one who's pregnant — that's how you don't know the works of God, who makes everything. In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening don't hold back your hand. Because you don't know which will do well, this or that, or whether they'll both be good alike. Truly the light is sweet, and it's a pleasant thing for the eyes to see the sun. But if a man lives plenty of years and celebrates in them all, still let him remember the days of darkness, because there'll be plenty of them. Everything that comes is empty. Celebrate, young man, in your youth. And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. And walk in the ways of your heart and in the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. So take sorrow away from your heart and put evil away from your flesh. Because childhood and youth are empty.

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

1

Cast your bread on the waters, and after many days you will find it again.

Plain English

Cast your bread on the waters, because you'll find it after plenty of days.

King James Version, 1611

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

2

Give a portion to seven, and to eight as well, because you don't know what disaster may come on the land.

Plain English

Give a share to seven and to eight too, because you don't know what trouble will be on the earth.

King James Version, 1611

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

3

If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth. And whether a tree falls to the south or the north, wherever it falls, there it stays.

Plain English

If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth. And if a tree falls towards the south or towards the north, in the place where the tree falls, that's where it'll be.

King James Version, 1611

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.

4

The man who watches the wind will never sow, and the man who studies the clouds will never reap.

Plain English

The one who watches the wind won't sow, and the one who looks at the clouds won't reap.

King James Version, 1611

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

5

As you don't know the way of the spirit, or how the bones grow in the womb of a woman with child, so you don't know the works of God, who makes everything.

Plain English

The way you don't know what the way of the spirit is, or how the bones grow in the womb of the one who's pregnant — that's how you don't know the works of God, who makes everything.

King James Version, 1611

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.

6

Sow your seed in the morning, and don't hold your hand back in the evening, because you don't know which will do well, this or that — or whether both will do equally well.

Plain English

In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening don't hold back your hand. Because you don't know which will do well, this or that, or whether they'll both be good alike.

King James Version, 1611

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.

7

The light is sweet, and it is a pleasant thing for the eyes to see the sun.

Plain English

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

King James Version, 1611

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

8

But if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all — and let him remember the days of darkness, because there will be many. Everything that comes is empty.

Plain English

But if a man lives plenty of years and celebrates in them all, still let him remember the days of darkness, because there'll be plenty of them. Everything that comes is empty.

King James Version, 1611

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.

9

Be glad, young man, while you're young. Let your heart enjoy the days of your youth. Follow where your heart leads and what looks good to you — but remember that God will call you to account for all of it.

Plain English

Celebrate, young man, in your youth. And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. And walk in the ways of your heart and in the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

King James Version, 1611

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

So remove sorrow from your heart and put evil away from your flesh, because childhood and youth are fleeting.

Plain English

So take sorrow away from your heart and put evil away from your flesh. Because childhood and youth are empty.

King James Version, 1611

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