Bible in one year
10/27/2022 Ecclesiastes Chapter 11-12
by Rev. Katherine Liu
Bruce
Christian Arts
Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music; Pastoral ministry &
counseling
Ecclesiastes 11 Cast
your bread upon the waters(v.1), is a
metaphorical expression taken from the grain trade of a seaport town,
illustrating the successful prospects of a bold business venture. There is wisdom in diversified investment,
for one one knows that calamity may befall one enterprise(v.2). There is an inevitable sequence and finality
in many of life’s event.(v.3). There is a danger of being overly cautious in
light of nature’s unpredictability.(v.4). Verses 7-8 Light, Signifies life in
this world. Darkness, Signifies death. God’s gift of life on earth should be
enjoyed, since it eventually terminates.
Ecclesiastes 11 (KJV)
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.
傳 11
¹ 當將你的糧食撒在水面，因為日久必能得著。
² 你要分給七人，又要分給八人，因為你不知道將來有甚麼災禍臨到地上。
³ 雲若滿了雨，就必傾倒在地上。樹若向南倒，或向北倒，樹倒在何處，就存在何處。
⁴ 看風的，必不撒種；望雲的，必不收割。
⁵ 靈從何道來，骨頭在懷孕婦人的胎中如何長成，你尚且不得知道；這樣，造眾人之 神的作為，你更不得知道。
⁶早晨要撒你的種，晚上也不要歇你的手，因為你不知道哪一樣發旺；或是早撒的，或是晚撒的，或是兩樣都好。
⁷ 光本是佳美的，眼見日光也是可悅的。
⁸然而，人活多年，又快樂多年，仍當想到黑暗的日子，因為這些日子必多。所要來的都是虛空。
⁹少年人哪，你在幼年時當快樂。在幼年的日子，使你的心歡暢，行你心所願行的，看你眼所愛看的；卻要知道，為這一切的事， 神必審問你。
¹⁰所以，你當從心中除掉愁煩，從肉體克去邪惡；因為一生的開端和幼年之時，都是虛空的。
Ecclesiastes
12 Solomon
exhorts young men to remember God in their youth, before old age and poor
health overtake them and life’s pleasures vanish.(vv.1-7). Solomon poetically
pictures old age as a gathering storm(v.2), as an old house (vv.3-4), and as an
old man(v.5). Keepers of houe.(v.3) arms and hands. Strong men stoop. I.e.,
legs that become weak. Grinders. I.e., a few remaining teeth. Those looking
through the windows grow dim. I.e., weak eyes. Verse 4 doors to the street.
I.e., ears that scarcely hear. Men rise up at the sound of birds. I.e., he is
unable to sleep. Their songs grow faint. I.e., a decreased appreciation for
music.
Verse 7 dust returns to the ground. I.e., man's body returns to dust.
Spirit returns to God for judgment. Verse 12 a warning against excessive devotion to secular literature. The
command to fear of God is coordinate with the command to keep his commandments,
indicating that true reverence toward God is to be manifested by obedience to
Him. (v.13).
God has not told man how to comprehend
all the frustrating futilities of life, but He ahs instructed man to enjoy life
as His gift 2:24). To make the most of every opportunity(9:10) and accompanied
by an awareness of future judgment (12:14). Solomon learned to live with life’s
paradoxes by maintaining a proper attitude toward life and God. (v.14).
Ecclesiastes 12 (KJV)
¹ Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy
youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt
say, I have no pleasure in them;
² While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or
the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:
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 that look out of the windows be darkened,
⁴ And the doors shall be shut in the streets,
when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the
bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;
⁵ Also when they shall be afraid of that which
is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and
the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to
his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:
⁶ Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the
golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel
broken at the cistern.
⁷ Then shall the dust return to the earth as it
was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
⁸ Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is
vanity.
⁹ And moreover, because the preacher was wise,
he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out,
and set in order many proverbs.
¹⁰ The preacher sought to find out acceptable
words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.
¹¹ The words of the wise are as goads, and as
nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.
¹² And further, by these, my son, be admonished:
of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the
flesh.
¹³ Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
¹⁴ For God shall bring every work into judgment,
with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
傳 12
¹現今你趁著年幼、衰敗的日子尚未來到，就是你所說，我毫無喜樂的那些年日未曾臨近之先，當記念你的 創造主。
² 不要等到日頭、光明、月亮、星宿變為黑暗，雨後雲彩反回，
³ 看守房屋的發顫，有力的屈身，推磨的稀少就止息，從窗戶往外看的都昏暗；
⁴ 街門關閉，推磨的響聲微小，雀鳥一叫，人就起來，唱歌的女子也都衰微。
⁵人怕高處，路上有驚慌，杏樹發旺，蚱蜢成為重擔，人所願的也都廢掉；因為人歸他永遠的家，弔喪的在街上往來。
⁶ 銀鏈折斷，金碗破裂，瓶子在泉旁損壞，水輪在井口破爛，
⁷ 到那時，塵土必仍歸於地，靈必仍歸於賜靈的 神。
⁸ 傳道者說：「虛空的虛空，凡事都是虛空。」
⁹ 再者，傳道者因有智慧，仍將知識教訓眾人；他留心聽，又考查，又陳說許多箴言。
¹⁰ 傳道者專心尋求可喜悅的言語，是憑正直寫的誠實話。
¹¹ 智慧人的言語好像刺棍，又像給會中之師釘穩的釘子，都是一個牧者所賜的。
¹² 我兒，還有一層，你當受勸戒：著書多，沒有窮盡；讀書多，身體疲倦。
¹³ 這些事都已聽見了，總意就是：敬畏 神，謹守他的誡命，這是人所當盡的本分。
¹⁴ 因為人所作的事，連一切隱藏的事，無論是善是惡， 神都必審問。
Bibliography,
Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV). Chicago,
IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986.
King James, The Holy Bible(KJV). Cleveland,
OH: The world publishing company
