The Message Bible MSG
King James Version KJV
1 e generous: Invest in acts of charity. Charity yields high returns.
1
Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.
2 Don't hoard your goods; spread them around. Be a blessing to others. This could be your last night.
2
Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.
3 When the clouds are full of water, it rains. When the wind blows down a tree, it lies where it falls.
3
If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.
4 Don't sit there watching the wind. Do your own work. Don't stare at the clouds. Get on with your life.
4
He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.
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.
5
As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.
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
6
In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.
7 Oh, how sweet the light of day, And how wonderful to live in the sunshine!
7
Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun:
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.
8
But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.
9 You who are young, make the most of your youth. Relish your youthful vigor. Follow the impulses of your heart. If something looks good to you, pursue it. But know also that not just anything goes; You have to answer to God for every last bit of it.
9
Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.
10 Live footloose and fancy free - You won't be young forever. Youth lasts about as long as smoke.
10
Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.
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.
The King James Version is in the public domain.