New International Version NIV
Orthodox Jewish Bible OJB
1 Ship your grain across the sea; after many days you may receive a return.
1
1 Cast thy lechem upon the waters, for thou shalt find it after many yamim.
2 Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.
2
Give chelek (portions) to shivah, and also to shmonah; for thou knowest not what ra’ah shall be upon ha’aretz.
3 If clouds are full of water, they pour rain on the earth. Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there it will lie.
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If the clouds be full of geshem, they empty themselves upon ha’aretz; and if the etz fall toward the darom (south), or toward the tzafon (north), in the makom (place) where the etz falleth, there it lieth.
4 Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.
4
He that observeth the ruach (wind) shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.
5 As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.
5
As thou knowest not what is the derech haruach [see Yn 3:3-8], nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child; even so thou knowest not the ma’asei HaElohim who maketh all.
6 Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.
6
In the boker sow thy zera, and in the erev do not let thine hand be idle; for thou knowest not which shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike tovim.
7 Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.
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Truly the ohr is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eynayim to behold the shemesh;
8 However many years anyone may live, let them enjoy them all. But let them remember the days of darkness, for there will be many. Everything to come is meaningless.
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But if haAdam live many shanim, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the yamim of choshech; for they shall be many. All that cometh is hevel.
9 You who are young, be happy while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.
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Rejoice, O bochur, in thy yaldut (youth); and let thy lev cheer thee in the yamim of thy bechurim (youth), and walk in the ways of thine lev, and in the sight of thine eynayim; but have da’as of this; that for all these things HaElohim will bring thee into mishpat.
10 So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless.
10
Therefore banish ka’as (sorrow) from thy lev, and put away ra’ah from thy basar; for yaldut and shacharut (prime of life) are hevel.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.