Ecclesiastes 11:5-10

5 As thou knowest not, which is the way of the spirit, and by what reason bones be joined together in the womb of a woman with child, so thou knowest not the works of God, which is maker of all things (who is the Maker of all things).

6 Early sow thy seed, and thine hand cease not in the eventide; for thou knowest not, what shall come forth more, this either that; and if ever either come forth together, it shall be the better. (Sow thy seed early, and do not stop thy work in the evening/and do not stop thy work until the evening; for thou knowest not, what shall come forth more, this or that; or if both will come forth together, and it shall be the better.)

7 The light is sweet, and delightable to the eyes to see the sun. (The light is sweet, and it is delightful, or pleasant, for thine eyes to see the sun.)

8 If a man liveth many years, and is glad in all these, he oughteth to have mind of [the] dark time, and of (those) many days (yet to come); and when those shall come, [the] things passed (away) shall be reproved of vanity. (If a person liveth many years, and is happy in all of them, he still ought to remember the dark time, and the many days yet to come; and when they do come, the things passed away shall be rebuked as but empty and futile.)

9 Therefore, thou young man, be glad in thy youth, and thine heart be in goodness in the days of thy youth, and go thou in the ways of thine heart, and in the beholding of thine eyes; and know thou, that for all these things God shall bring thee into doom. (And so, O young man, be happy in thy youth, and let thy heart be in goodness in the days of thy youth, and go thou in the ways of thy heart, and in the beholding of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things God shall bring thee to the judgement.)

10 Do thou away ire from thine heart, and remove thou malice from thy flesh; for why youth and lust be vain things, or vanity. (Do thou away anger from thy heart, and remove thou malice from thy flesh; because youth and lust be but empty and futile.)

Ecclesiastes 11:5-10 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ECCLESIASTES 11

This chapter begins with an exhortation to liberality to the poor, enforced by several reasons and arguments, and the objections to it removed; and the whole illustrated by various similes, Ec 11:1-6; and then it is observed, that a life attended with outward prosperity and inward peace, and spent in doing good, is very delightful, and very desirable it is to have it continued; yet it should be remembered this will not be always, that many days of darkness in the grave will come; and after all the whole of a man's life is vanity, as is often inculcated, Ec 11:7,8; and the chapter is closed with an ironic address to young men, designed to show them the folly and danger of sinful courses, to reform them from them, and to put them in mind of a future judgment, Ec 11:9,10.