Ecclesiastes 11:1–8 — The to do of wise

This is still an early look into the drafted text of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check the text in advance before using in public.

Readers’ Version

Literal Version

11:1 The to do of wise

11 Throw your bread out onto the waters

because you’ll find it again in several days.

2 Share it around seven or eight others

because you don’t know when a calamity will hit your area.

3 If the clouds are filled with rain, they’ll pour it out,

and if a tree falls to the north or the south,

wherever it falls, that’s where it’ll be.

4 A person who worries about the wind,

won’t sow any seed,

≈ and someone who keeps looking at the clouds,

will never harvest their crop.

5 Just as you don’t know how the winds work,

or how the bones get into a pregnant woman’s womb,

nor do you know how God does everything that he does.

6 Sow your seed in the morning

and don’t stop planting until the evening,

because you don’t know which areas will grow well,

or whether it will all succeed equally.

7 Light is sweet

and it’s good for your eyes to see the sun.

8 Even if a person lives for many years,

they should take pleasure in all of them,

but remember the dark days

because everything that happens is pointless.

11 Send bread _of_your on the _surface _of the_waters if/because in _(the)_abundance _of the_days you_will _find _it.

2 Give a _portion to_seven and_also to_eight if/because not you _know what calamity will _it _be on the_earth/land.

3 If the_clouds they _will _be _filled rain on the_earth/land they _will _pour_it_out and_if a _tree it _falls at_south and_if at_north the _place _of (of)_where_ the_tree _it _falls there it _will _become.

4 one _who_watches _of a _wind not he _will _sow and_one _who_looks on_clouds not he _will _reap.

5 Just_as not_you are_knowing what is_the _way _of the _wind like_bones in_the _womb _of the _full_woman thus not you _know DOM the _work _of the_ʼElohīm who he _makes DOM (the)_everything.

6 In_morning sow DOM seed _of_your and_to_evening do _not give _rest _to hand _of_your if/because not_you are_knowing[fn] where this will _it _succeed this or this and_if both _of_them as_one be_good.

7 And_is_sweet the_light and_good for_eyes to_see DOM the_sun.

8 If/because if years many the_humankind he _will _live in_all _of_of _them let _him _take _pleasure and_let _him _remember DOM the _days _of the_darkness if/because many they _will _be all that_it _has _come is_futility.

11:6 OSHB note: We agree with both BHS 1997 and BHQ on an unexpected reading.

OET by section ECC 11:1

The to do of wise

Readers’ Version

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Literal Version