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.
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.