1 Send out your bread on the waters, for you will find it again after many days. 2 Share it with seven, even eight people, for you do not know what disasters are coming on the earth. 3 If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth, and if a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it will remain. 4 Anyone who watches the wind might not plant, and anyone who watches the clouds might not harvest. 5 As you do not know the path of the wind, nor how a baby's bones grow in the pregnant womb, so also you cannot comprehend the work of God, who created everything. 6 In the morning plant your seed; until the evening, work with your hands as needed, for you know not which will prosper, whether morning or evening, or this or that, or whether they will both alike be good. 7 Truly the light is sweet, and it is a pleasant thing for the eyes to see the sun. 8 If someone lives many years, let him be happy in all of them, but let him think about the coming days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything to come is vanishing vapor. 9 Take joy, young man, in your youth, and let your heart be joyful in the days of your youth. Pursue the good desires of your heart, and whatever is within the sight of your eyes. However, know that God will bring you into judgment for all these things. 10 Drive anger away from your heart, and ignore any pain in your body, because youth and its strength are vapor.
Ecclesiastes · Unlocked Literal Bible
Ecclesiastes 11 Unlocked Literal Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (10)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Ecclesiastes 11:6; Proverbs 19:17; Matthew 10:42; Hebrews 6:10; 2 Corinthians 9:6
- 2 1 Timothy 6:18–19; Job 5:19; Psalm 112:9; Luke 6:30–35; Proverbs 6:16
- 3 Psalm 65:9–13; Isaiah 55:10–11; 1 John 3:17; Luke 13:7; 1 Kings 18:45
- 4 Proverbs 20:4; Proverbs 3:27; Proverbs 22:13
- 5 John 3:8; Psalm 92:5; Ecclesiastes 8:17; Romans 11:33; Isaiah 40:28
- 6 2 Corinthians 9:10–11; Isaiah 55:10; Haggai 1:6–11; Hosea 10:12; 2 Corinthians 9:6
- 7 Ecclesiastes 7:11; Matthew 5:45; Proverbs 15:30; Psalm 84:11; Job 33:30
- 8 John 12:35; Deuteronomy 32:29; Ecclesiastes 7:14; Joel 2:2; Job 14:10
- 9 Ecclesiastes 12:14; 1 John 2:15–16; Ecclesiastes 12:1; Ecclesiastes 3:17; Lamentations 3:27
- 10 2 Corinthians 7:1; 2 Timothy 2:22; Ecclesiastes 1:2; Ecclesiastes 1:14; Ecclesiastes 12:1
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
This coming of the Lord, and the end of the world, were known to the Preacher; who says, Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and the rest; Therefore remove anger from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh;...and remember thy Creator...or ever the evil days come,....or ever the sun, and the light, and the moon, and …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
Further, observe that the number seven denotes all the present time, as the most wise Solomon says, to give a portion to seven and also to eight.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 9 (1899)