Ecclesiastes 11:6

6 Go to work in the morning and stick to it until evening without watching the clock. You never know from moment to moment how your work will turn out in the end. Before the Years Take Their Toll

Ecclesiastes 11:6 Meaning and Commentary

Ecclesiastes 11:6

In the morning sow thy seed
Do all good works early and diligently, which is expressed by sowing in righteousness, ( Hosea 10:12 ) ; particularly alms deeds, often signified by sowing seed, ( Psalms 112:9 ) ( 2 Corinthians 9:6-10 ) ; this should be in the morning of youth, that persons may be inured to it betimes as Obadiah was; and in the morning of prosperity, as soon as ever Providence smiles on men, and puts it into the power of their hands, who should honour the Lord with the firstfruits of their increase; and in the evening withhold not thine hand;
from sowing seed, from doing good, particularly acts of charity, in the evening of old age, as Jarchi, like old Barzillai; an age in which men are apt to be more tenacious and covetous, and withhold more than is meet; yea, in the evening of adversity do not leave off doing good as much as can be; but do as the Macedonian churches, whose deep poverty abounded to the riches of their liberality in a great trial of affliction, ( 2 Corinthians 8:2 ) ; in short, good is to be done at all times, as opportunity offers, throughout the whole of life, and in all conditions and circumstances; for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that;
the seed sown in the morning or in the evening, which good work shall best succeed; therefore do both, try all ways, make use of all opportunities; or whether they both [shall be] alike good;
acceptable to God, and useful to men; and if so, a man will have no occasion to repent of what he has done both in youth and old age.

Ecclesiastes 11:6 In-Context

4 Don't sit there watching the wind. Do your own work. Don't stare at the clouds. Get on with your life.
5 Just as you'll never understand the mystery of life forming in a pregnant woman, So you'll never understand the mystery at work in all that God does.
6 Go to work in the morning and stick to it until evening without watching the clock. You never know from moment to moment how your work will turn out in the end. Before the Years Take Their Toll
7 Oh, how sweet the light of day, And how wonderful to live in the sunshine!
8 Even if you live a long time, don't take a single day for granted. Take delight in each light-filled hour, Remembering that there will also be many dark days And that most of what comes your way is smoke.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.