New American Standard Bible 1995

Ecclesiastes 11

Cast Your Bread on the Waters

1Castשַׁלַּ֥חsha.LachH7971your breadלַחְמְךָ֖lach.me.KhaH3899on the surfaceפְּנֵ֣יpe.NeiH6440of the watersהַמָּ֑יִםha.Ma.yimH4325, for youwill findתִּמְצָאֶֽנּוּ׃tim.tza.'E.nuH4672itafter manyבְרֹ֥בve.RoH7230daysהַיָּמִ֖יםhai.ya.MimH3117.

2Divideתֶּן־ten-H5414your portionחֵ֥לֶקChe.lekH2506to sevenלְשִׁבְעָ֖הle.shiv.'AhH7651,or evenוְגַ֣םve.GamH1571to eightלִשְׁמוֹנָ֑הlish.mo.NahH8083,for you do not knowתֵדַ֔עte.Da'H3045whatמַה־mah-H4100misfortuneH7463may occurיִּהְיֶ֥הyih.YehH1961on the earthהָאָֽרֶץ׃ha.'A.retzH776.

3IfH518the cloudsהֶעָבִ֥יםhe.'a.VimH5645are fullיִמָּלְא֨וּyi.mal.'UH4390,they pourH7385out rainגֶּ֙שֶׁם֙ge.shemH1653upon the earthהָאָ֣רֶץha.'A.retzH776;and whetherH518a treeעֵ֛ץ'etzH6086fallsיִפּ֥וֹלyi.PolH5307toward the southבַּדָּר֖וֹםba.da.RomH1864or toward the northבַּצָּפ֑וֹןba.tza.FonH6828,whereverמְק֛וֹםme.KomH4725the treeהָעֵ֖ץha.'EtzH6086fallsשֶׁיִּפּ֥וֹלshei.yi.PolH5307,thereשָׁ֥םshamH8033itliesH1961.

4He who watchesשֹׁמֵ֥רsho.MerH8104the windר֖וּחַRu.achH7307will not sowיִזְרָ֑עyiz.Ra'H2232and he who looksוְרֹאֶ֥הve.ro.'EhH7200at the cloudsבֶעָבִ֖יםve.'a.VimH5645will not reapיִקְצֽוֹר׃yik.TzorH7114.

5JustH3512as you do notknowיוֹדֵ֙עַ֙yo.De.a'H3045the pathדֶּ֣רֶךְDe.rekhH1870of the windהָר֔וּחַha.Ru.achH7307andhow bonesכַּעֲצָמִ֖יםka.'a.tza.MimH6106are formedin the wombבְּבֶ֣טֶןbe.Ve.tenH990of thepregnantH4392womanH4392,soכָּ֗כָהKa.khahH3602you do notknowתֵדַע֙te.Da'H3045the activityמַעֲשֵׂ֣הma.'a.SehH4639of Godהָֽאֱלֹהִ֔יםha.'E.lo.HimH430whoH834makesיַעֲשֶׂ֖הya.'a.SehH6213allH3605thingsH3605.

6Sowזְרַ֣עze.Ra'H2232your seedזַרְעֶ֔ךָzar.'E.khaH2233in the morningבַּבֹּ֙קֶר֙ba.Bo.kerH1242and do notbe idleתַּנַּ֣ח יָדֶ֑ךָta.Nach ya.De.khaH5117 H3027in the eveningוְלָעֶ֖רֶבve.la.'E.revH6153,for you do not knowיוֹדֵ֜עyo.De'H3045whetherאֵ֣י'eiH335morningH2088orאוֹ־'ov-H176evening sowing will succeedיִכְשָׁר֙yikh.SharH3787,or whetherוְאִם־ve.'im-H518bothשְׁנֵיהֶ֥םshe.nei.HemH8147of them alikeכְּאֶחָ֖דke.'e.ChadH259will be goodטוֹבִֽים׃to.VimH2896.

7The lightהָא֑וֹרha.'OrH216is pleasantוּמָת֖וֹקu.ma.TokH4966, and it isgoodוְט֥וֹבve.TovH2896for the eyesלַֽעֵינַ֖יִםla.'ei.Na.yimH5869toseeלִרְא֥וֹתlir.'otH7200the sunהַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ha.Sha.meshH8121.

8IndeedH3588,ifאִם־'im-H518a manהָאָדָ֖םha.'a.DamH120should liveיִחְיֶ֥הyich.YehH2421manyהַרְבֵּ֛הhar.BehH7235yearsשָׁנִ֥יםsha.NimH8141, let himrejoiceיִשְׂמָ֑חyis.MachH8055in them allבְּכֻלָּ֣םbe.khu.LamH3605,and let him rememberוְיִזְכֹּר֙ve.yiz.KorH2142thedaysיְמֵ֣יye.MeiH3117of darknessהַחֹ֔שֶׁךְha.Cho.shekhH2822,for they will be manyהַרְבֵּ֥הhar.BehH7235.Everythingכָּל־kol-H3605that is to comeשֶׁבָּ֥אshe.Ba'H935will befutilityהָֽבֶל׃Ha.velH1892.

9Rejoiceשְׂמַ֧חse.MachH8055,youngבָּח֣וּרba.ChurH970manH970,during your childhoodבְּיַלְדוּתֶ֗יךָbe.yal.du.Tei.khaH3208,and let your heartלִבְּךָ֙li.be.KhaH3820be pleasantוִֽיטִֽיבְךָ֤vi.ti.ve.KhaH3190during the daysבִּימֵ֣יbi.MeiH3117of youngH979manhoodH979.And followוְהַלֵּךְ֙ve.ha.leKhH1980theimpulsesבְּדַרְכֵ֣יbe.dar.KheiH1870of your heartלִבְּךָ֔li.be.KhaH3820and thedesiresוּבְמַרְאֵ֖יu.ve.mar.'EiH4758of your eyesעֵינֶ֑יךָ'ei.Nei.khaH5869.Yet knowוְדָ֕עve.Da'H3045thatGodהָאֱלֹהִ֖יםha.'E.lo.HimH430will bringיְבִֽיאֲךָ֥ye.vi.'a.KhaH935you to judgmentבַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃ba.mish.PatH4941for allכָּל־kol-H3605theseH428thingsאֵ֛לֶּה'E.lehH428.

10So, removeוְהָסֵ֥רve.ha.SerH5493griefH3708and angerH3708from your heartמִלִּבֶּ֔ךָmi.li.Be.khaH3820and putH5674awayוְהַעֲבֵ֥רve.ha.'a.VerH5674painH7463from your bodyמִבְּשָׂרֶ֑ךָmi.be.sa.Re.khaH1320,becauseכִּֽי־ki-H3588childhoodהַיַּלְד֥וּתhai.yal.DutH3208and the primeH7839of lifeH7839are fleetingהָֽבֶל׃Ha.velH1892.

Cast Your Bread on the Waters

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 11