Ecclesiastes 11 – read and compare multiple versions of the Bible

World English Bible

Ecclesiastes 11 (WEBP)

[1] Cast your bread on the waters; for you shall find it after many days.
[2] Give a portion to seven, yes, even to eight; for you don’t know what evil will be on the earth.
[3] If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth; and if a tree falls toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falls, there shall it be.
[4] He who observes the wind won’t sow; and he who regards the clouds won’t reap.
[5] As you don’t know what is the way of the wind, nor how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child; even so you don’t know the work of God who does all.
[6] In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening don’t withhold your hand; for you don’t know which will prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both will be equally good.
[7] Truly the light is sweet, and it is a pleasant thing for the eyes to see the sun.
[8] Yes, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity.
[9] Rejoice, young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.
[10] Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

Scripture quotations are taken from The World English Bible™ of eBible.org, 2020 stable text edition. It is in the public domain.

King James w/Strong’s #s

Ecclesiastes 11 (KJVS)

[1] Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.
[2] Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.
[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] He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.
[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] 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] Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun:
[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] 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] Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.

Ecclesiastes 11:1 Heb. upon the face of the waters
Ecclesiastes 11:6 Heb. shall be right
Ecclesiastes 11:10 Or, anger

Scripture quotations from The Authorized King James Version of the Holy Bible, using the standardized text of 1769. It is in the public domain.

Greek Bible (LXX/BYZ)

Ecclesiastes 11 (BYZ)

[1] Ἀπόστειλον () τὸν () ἄρτον () σου () ἐπὶ () πρόσωπον () τοῦ () ὕδατος, () ὅτι () ἐν () πλήθει () τῶν () ἡμερῶν () εὑρήσεις () αὐτόν· ()
[2] δὸς () μερίδα () τοῖς () ἑπτὰ () καί () γε () τοῖς () ὀκτώ, () ὅτι () οὐ () γινώσκεις () τί () ἔσται () πονηρὸν () ἐπὶ () τὴν () γῆν. ()
[3] Ἐὰν () πληρωθῶσιν () τὰ () νέφη () ὑετοῦ, () ἐπὶ () τὴν () γῆν () ἐκχέουσιν· () καὶ () ἐὰν () πέσῃ () ξύλον () ἐν () τῷ () νότῳ () καὶ () ἐὰν () ἐν () τῷ () βορρᾷ, () τόπῳ, () οὗ () πεσεῖται () τὸ () ξύλον, () ἐκεῖ () ἔσται. ()
[4] Τηρῶν () ἄνεμον () οὐ () σπερεῖ, () καὶ () βλέπων () ἐν () ταῖς () νεφέλαις () οὐ () θερίσει, ()
[5] ἐν () οἷς () οὐκ () ἔστιν () γινώσκων () τίς () ἡ () ὁδὸς () τοῦ () πνεύματος. () Ὡς () ὀστᾶ () ἐν () γαστρὶ () τῆς () κυοφορούσης, οὕτως () οὐ () γνώσῃ () τὰ () ποιήματα () τοῦ () θεοῦ, () ὅσα () ποιήσει () σὺν () τὰ () πάντα. ()
[6] Ἐν () πρωίᾳ () σπεῖρον () τὸ () σπέρμα () σου, () καὶ () εἰς () ἑσπέραν () μὴ () ἀφέτω () ἡ () χείρ () σου, () ὅτι () οὐ () γινώσκεις () ποῖον () στοιχήσει, () ἢ () τοῦτο () ἢ () τοῦτο, () καὶ () ἐὰν () τὰ () δύο () ἐπὶ () τὸ () αὐτὸ () ἀγαθά. ()
[7] Καὶ () γλυκὺ () τὸ () φῶς () καὶ () ἀγαθὸν () τοῖς () ὀφθαλμοῖς () τοῦ () βλέπειν () σὺν () τὸν () ἥλιον· ()
[8] ὅτι () καὶ () ἐὰν () ἔτη () πολλὰ () ζήσεται () ὁ () ἄνθρωπος, () ἐν () πᾶσιν () αὐτοῖς () εὐφρανθήσεται () καὶ () μνησθήσεται τὰς () ἡμέρας () τοῦ () σκότους, () ὅτι () πολλαὶ () ἔσονται· () πᾶν () τὸ () ἐρχόμενον () ματαιότης. ()
[9] Εὐφραίνου, () νεανίσκε, () ἐν () νεότητί () σου, () καὶ () ἀγαθυνάτω σε () ἡ () καρδία () σου () ἐν () ἡμέραις () νεότητός () σου, () καὶ () περιπάτει () ἐν () ὁδοῖς () καρδίας () σου () καὶ () ἐν () ὁράσει () ὀφθαλμῶν () σου () καὶ () γνῶθι () ὅτι () ἐπὶ () πᾶσι () τούτοις () ἄξει () σε () ὁ () θεὸς () ἐν () κρίσει. ()
[10] Καὶ () ἀπόστησον () θυμὸν () ἀπὸ () καρδίας () σου () καὶ () παράγαγε () πονηρίαν () ἀπὸ () σαρκός () σου, () ὅτι () ἡ () νεότης () καὶ () ἡ () ἄνοια () ματαιότης. ()

Old Testament scripture quotations and versification from Septuaginta, edited by Alfred Rahlfs (Stuttgart: Württembergische Bibelanstalt, 1935). New Testament quotations are from the Byzantine Text (Guardian Press, LLC, Robinson-Pierpont Byzantine Textform, 2026). Both are in the public domain.