1 要把你的粮食撒在水面上， 因为日久你必得回。 2 你要分为七份， 或分为八份， 因为你不知道将来会有什么灾祸在地上发生。 3 云若充满水气， 雨就倾倒在地上； 树无论向南倒， 或向北倒， 倒在哪里， 就横在哪里。 4 看风的， 不撒种； 观云的， 不收割。 5 你不晓得风的路向， 不知道骨头如何在孕妇胎中形成， 照样， 创造万物之 神的作为， 你也不得而知。 6 早晨要撒你的种， 直到黄昏也不要歇手； 因为你不知道哪一样种得成， 是早撒的， 或晚撒的， 或两者都一样好。 7 光是美好的， 眼睛得见天日， 也是好的。 8 人无论多长寿， 都当乐在其中， 不过他要想到黑暗的日子， 因为这些日子将会很多； 要来的， 都是虚空的。 9 年轻人哪！ 你在幼年时要快乐， 在壮年的日子， 要使你的心欢畅； 顺着你心所愿的， 眼所见的去行。不过， 你要知道， 为了这一切事， 神必审问你。 10 所以你当除掉心中的烦恼， 除去肉体的疾苦， 因为无论是幼年或是壮年， 都是虚空的。

1 Send forth thy bread on the face of the waters, For in the multitude of the days thou dost find it.2 Give a portion to seven, and even to eight, For thou knowest not what evil is on the earth.3 If the thick clouds are full of rain, On the earth they empty [themselves]; And if a tree doth fall in the south or to the north, The place where the tree falleth, there it is.4 Whoso is observing the wind soweth not, And whoso is looking on the thick clouds reapeth not.5 As thou knowest not what [is] the way of the spirit, How -- bones in the womb of the full one, So thou knowest not the work of God who maketh the whole.6 In the morning sow thy seed, And at even withdraw not thy hand, For thou knowest not which is right, this or that, Or whether both of them alike [are] good.7 Sweet also [is] the light, And good for the eyes to see the sun.8 But, if man liveth many years, In all of them let him rejoice, And remember the days of darkness, For they are many! all that is coming [is] vanity.9 Rejoice, O young man, in thy childhood, And let thy heart gladden thee in days of thy youth, And walk in the ways of thy heart, And in the sight of thine eyes, And know thou that for all these, Doth God bring thee into judgment.10 And turn aside anger from thy heart, And cause evil to pass from thy flesh, For the childhood and the age [are] vanity!