Ecclesiastes 11

Be careful how you live

1Freely give your things to other people. If you do that, one day you will receive your things back again.

2Share your things with several other people. You do not know when trouble will come. Then those people can help you.

3When clouds are full of water, rain will fall on the earth. If a tree falls to the ground, it will stay there, in the same place.

4A farmer who waits for the right wind will never plant any seeds. If he is always looking at the clouds, he will never bring in his crops.

5We do not know the path that the wind blows along. Nor do we know how a baby's body grows inside a pregnant woman. So nobody can explain the things that God does. He is the one who has made everything.

Remember God while you are young

6Plant your seeds in the morning, and continue to work until the evening. You do not know which seeds will become strong plants. Perhaps only some of them will grow. Perhaps they will all grow well.

7Light makes people happy. It is good to see the sun rise in the morning.

8People may live for many years, and they should happily enjoy every day. But they should remember that their lives will end in death. There will be many days of trouble ahead. We cannot understand everything that will happen to us in the future.

9Young people, enjoy your life while you are young. Do the things that you think are good. Enjoy the things that you see. But remember that God will judge you for all the things that you do.

10Do not worry about things. Do not let your body cause you to have pain. You will not be young and strong for very long. We all become old too quickly.