| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find it after many days. | 1Send your bread on the surface of the waters, for after many days you may find it. |
| 2Give a serving to seven, and also to eight, For you do not know what evil will be on the earth. | 2Give a portion to seven or even to eight, for you don't know what disaster may happen on earth. |
| 3If the clouds are full of rain, They empty themselves upon the earth; And if a tree falls to the south or the north, In the place where the tree falls, there it shall lie. | 3If the clouds are full, they will pour out rain on the earth; whether a tree falls to the south or the north, the place where the tree falls, there it will lie. |
| 4He who observes the wind will not sow, And he who regards the clouds will not reap. | 4One who watches the wind will not sow, and the one who looks at the clouds will not reap. |
| 5As you do not know what is the way of the wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything. | 5Just as you don't know the path of the wind, or how bones develop in the womb of a pregnant woman, so you don't know the work of God who makes everything. |
| 6In the morning sow your seed, And in the evening do not withhold your hand; For you do not know which will prosper, Either this or that, Or whether both alike will be good. | 6In the morning sow your seed, and at evening do not let your hand rest, because you don't know which will succeed, whether one or the other, or if both of them will be equally good. |
| 7Truly the light is sweet, And it is pleasant for the eyes to behold the sun; | 7Light is sweet, and it is pleasing for the eyes to see the sun. |
| 8But if a man lives many years And rejoices in them all, Yet let him remember the days of darkness, For they will be many. All that is coming is vanity. | 8Indeed, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all, and let him remember the days of darkness, since they will be many. All that comes is futile. |
| 9Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; Walk in the ways of your heart, And in the sight of your eyes; But know that for all these God will bring you into judgment. | 9Rejoice, young man, while you are young, and let your heart be glad 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 of these things God will bring you to judgment. |
| 10Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, And put away evil from your flesh, For childhood and youth are vanity. | 10Remove sorrow from your heart, and put away pain from your flesh, because youth and the prime of life are fleeting. |
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