Ecclesiastes 11 | Biblion Bible Reader

WEB·Ecclesiastes 12

¹Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw near, when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them;”

KJVRemember^H2142^(H8798) now thy Creator^H1254^(H8802) in the days^H3117 of thy youth^H979, while the evil^H7451 days^H3117 come^H935^(H8799) not, nor the years^H8141 draw nigh^H5060^(H8689), when thou shalt say^H559^(H8799), I have no pleasure^H2656 in them;

² Before the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain;

KJVWhile the sun^H8121, or the light^H216, or the moon^H3394, or the stars^H3556, be not darkened^H2821^(H8799), nor the clouds^H5645 return^H7725^(H8804) after^H310 the rain^H1653:

³ in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look out of the windows are darkened,

KJVIn the day^H3117 when the keepers^H8104^(H8802) of the house^H1004 shall tremble^H2111^(H8799), and the strong^H2428 men^H582 shall bow^H5791^(H8694) themselves, and the grinders^H2912^(H8802) cease^H988^(H8804) because they are few^H4591^(H8765), and those that look out^H7200^(H8802) of the windows^H699 be darkened^H2821^(H8804),

⁴ and the doors shall be shut in the street; when the sound of the grinding is low, and one shall rise up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;

KJVAnd the doors^H1817 shall be shut^H5462^(H8795) in the streets^H7784, when the sound^H6963 of the grinding^H2913 is low^H8217, and he shall rise up^H6965^(H8799) at the voice^H6963 of the bird^H6833, and all the daughters^H1323 of musick^H7892 shall be brought low^H7817^(H8735);

⁵ yes, they shall be afraid of heights, and terrors will be on the way; and the almond tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail; because man goes to his everlasting home, and the mourners go about the streets;

KJVAlso when they shall be afraid^H3372^(H8799) of that which is high^H1364, and fears^H2849 shall be in the way^H1870, and the almond tree^H8247 shall flourish^H5006^(H8686), and the grasshopper^H2284 shall be a burden^H5445^(H8691), and desire^H35 shall fail^H6565^(H8686): because man^H120 goeth^H1980^(H8802) to his long^H5769 home^H1004, and the mourners^H5594^(H8802) go about^H5437^(H8804) the streets^H7784:

⁶ before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the spring, or the wheel broken at the cistern,

KJVOr ever^H3808 the silver^H3701 cord^H2256 be loosed^H7576^(H8735)^(H8675)^H7368^(H8735), or the golden^H2091 bowl^H1543 be broken^H7533^(H8799), or the pitcher^H3537 be broken^H7665^(H8735) at the fountain^H4002, or the wheel^H1534 broken^H7533^(H8738) at the cistern^H953.

⁷ and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

KJVThen shall the dust^H6083 return^H7725^(H8799) to the earth^H776 as it was: and the spirit^H7307 shall return^H7725^(H8799) unto God^H430 who gave^H5414^(H8804) it.

⁸ “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher. “All is vanity!”

KJVVanity^H1892 of vanities^H1892, saith^H559^(H8804) the preacher^H6953; all is vanity^H1892.

⁹ Further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge. Yes, he pondered, sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

KJVAnd moreover^H3148, because the preacher^H6953 was wise^H2450, he still taught^H3925^(H8765) the people^H5971 knowledge^H1847; yea, he gave good heed^H239^(H8765), and sought out^H2713^(H8765), and set in order^H8626^(H8765) many^H7235^(H8687) proverbs^H4912.

¹⁰ The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written blamelessly, words of truth.

KJVThe preacher^H6953 sought^H1245^(H8765) to find out^H4672^(H8800) acceptable^H2656 words^H1697: and that which was written^H3789^(H8803) was upright^H3476, even words^H1697 of truth^H571.

¹¹ The words of the wise are like goads; and like nails well fastened are words from the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.

KJVThe words^H1697 of the wise^H2450 are as goads^H1861, and as nails^H4930 fastened^H5193^(H8803) by the masters^H1167 of assemblies^H627, which are given^H5414^(H8738) from one^H259 shepherd^H7462^(H8802).

¹² Furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

KJVAnd further^H3148, by these^H1992, my son^H1121, be admonished^H2094^(H8734): of making^H6213^(H8800) many^H7235^(H8687) books^H5612 there is no end^H7093; and much^H7235^(H8687) study^H3854 is a weariness^H3024 of the flesh^H1320.

¹³ This is the end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.

KJVLet us hear^H8085^(H8799) the conclusion^H5490 of the whole matter^H1697: Fear^H3372^(H8798) God^H430, and keep^H8104^(H8798) his commandments^H4687: for this is the whole duty of man^H120.

¹⁴ For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it is good, or whether it is evil.

KJVFor God^H430 shall bring^H935^(H8686) every work^H4639 into judgment^H4941, with every secret thing^H5956^(H8737), whether it be good^H2896, or whether it be evil^H7451.

WEB·Ecclesiastes 11

¹Cast your bread on the waters; for you shall find it after many days.

KJVCast^H7971^(H8761) thy bread^H3899 upon^H6440 the waters^H4325: for thou shalt find^H4672^(H8799) it after many^H7230 days^H3117.

² Give a portion to seven, yes, even to eight; for you don’t know what evil will be on the earth.

KJVGive^H5414^(H8798) a portion^H2506 to seven^H7651, and also to eight^H8083; for thou knowest^H3045^(H8799) not what evil^H7451 shall be upon the earth^H776.

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.

KJVIf the clouds^H5645 be full^H4390^(H8735) of rain^H1653, they empty^H7324^(H8686) themselves upon the earth^H776: and if the tree^H6086 fall^H5307^(H8799) toward the south^H1864, or toward the north^H6828, in the place^H4725 where the tree^H6086 falleth^H5307^(H8799), there it shall be^H1933^(H8799).

⁴ He who observes the wind won’t sow; and he who regards the clouds won’t reap.

KJVHe that observeth^H8104^(H8802) the wind^H7307 shall not sow^H2232^(H8799); and he that regardeth^H7200^(H8802) the clouds^H5645 shall not reap^H7114^(H8799).

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.

KJVAs thou knowest^H3045^(H8802) not what is the way^H1870 of the spirit^H7307, nor how the bones^H6106 do grow in the womb^H990 of her that is with child^H4392: even so thou knowest^H3045^(H8799) not the works^H4639 of God^H430 who maketh^H6213^(H8799) 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.

KJVIn the morning^H1242 sow^H2232^(H8798) thy seed^H2233, and in the evening^H6153 withhold^H3240^(H8686) not thine hand^H3027: for thou knowest^H3045^(H8802) not whether^H335 shall prosper^H3787^(H8799), either this or that, or whether they both^H8147 shall be alike^H259 good^H2896.

⁷ Truly the light is sweet, and it is a pleasant thing for the eyes to see the sun.

KJVTruly the light^H216 is sweet^H4966, and a pleasant^H2896 thing it is for the eyes^H5869 to behold^H7200^(H8800) the sun^H8121:

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.

KJVBut if a man^H120 live^H2421^(H8799) many^H7235^(H8687) years^H8141, and rejoice^H8055^(H8799) in them all; yet let him remember^H2142^(H8799) the days^H3117 of darkness^H2822; for they shall be many^H7235^(H8687). All that cometh^H935^(H8804) is vanity^H1892.

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.

KJVRejoice^H8055^(H8798), O young man^H970, in thy youth^H3208; and let thy heart^H3820 cheer^H2895^(H8686) thee in the days^H3117 of thy youth^H979, and walk^H1980^(H8761) in the ways^H1870 of thine heart^H3820, and in the sight^H4758 of thine eyes^H5869: but know^H3045^(H8798) thou, that for all these things God^H430 will bring^H935^(H8686) thee into judgment^H4941.

¹⁰ Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

KJVTherefore remove^H5493^(H8685) sorrow^H3708 from thy heart^H3820, and put away^H5674^(H8685) evil^H7451 from thy flesh^H1320: for childhood^H3208 and youth^H7839 are vanity^H1892.

Section titles come from the Biblion commentary, not from Scripture.

You can also read or listen to the Introduction to the book of Ecclesiastes.