שַׁלַּח לַחְמְךָ עַל־פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם כִּי־בְרֹב הַיָּמִים תִּמְצָאֶנּוּ

Cast your bread upon the water, perform acts of kindness and virtue, even if you receive no immediate remuneration, for after many days, at the appropriate time, you will find it, your reward.

תֶּן־חֵלֶק לְשִׁבְעָה וְגַם לִשְׁמוֹנָה כִּי לֹא תֵדַע מַה־יִּהְיֶה רָעָה עַל־הָאָרֶץ

Distribute a portion to seven, and even to eight; divide your resources, as you do not know what evil will be upon the earth, and which of your possessions, or your land, will be harmed.

אִם־יִמָּלְאוּ הֶעָבִים גֶּשֶׁם עַל־הָאָרֶץ יָרִיקוּ וְאִם־יִפּוֹל עֵץ בַּדָּרוֹם וְאִם בַּצָּפוֹן מְקוֹם שֶׁיִּפּוֹל הָעֵץ שָׁם יְהוּא

If the clouds are filled with rain, they will certainly empty onto the earth, but one cannot know where exactly the rain will fall. In contrast, if a tree falls in the south or in the north, the place where the tree falls, there it will be. There are some occurrences whose consequences are predictable in all their details, whereas others are beyond man’s grasp.

שֹׁמֵר רוּחַ לֹא יִזְרָע וְרֹאֶה בֶעָבִים לֹא יִקְצוֹר

In these ambiguous conditions, the search for certainty and control can lead to paralysis: One who awaits the wind, postponing sowing his field until it calms, as it is difficult to sow in a strong wind, will not ever sow, and likewise, one who gazes at the clouds, calculating his steps to schedule his harvest at a time when he can be certain that it will not rain, will not ever reap. One should act even when conditions are not ideal rather than endlessly delaying.

כַּאֲשֶׁר אֵינְךָ יוֹדֵעַ מַה־דֶּרֶךְ הָרוּחַ כַּעֲצָמִים בְּבֶטֶן הַמְּלֵאָה כָּכָה לֹא תֵדַע אֶת מַעֲשֵׂה הָאֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה אֶת־הַכֹּל

Just as you do not know the conduct of the wind, or one’s inspiration or will power, or how the fetuses grow in a womb of the pregnant, as the limbs of the fetus are hidden from the eye, so you will not know the work of God who does everything.

בַּבֹּקֶר זְרַע אֶת־זַרְעֶךָ וְלָעֶרֶב אַל־תַּנַּח יָדֶךָ כִּי אֵינְךָ יוֹדֵעַ אֵי זֶה יִכְשַׁר הֲזֶה אוֹ־זֶה וְאִם־שְׁנֵיהֶם כְּאֶחָד טוֹבִים

in the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not rest your hand. Do not be lazy, but rather sow again in the evening, even if you already sowed in the morning, as you do not know which will succeed, this or that, or whether they both alike will be good.

וּמָתוֹק הָאוֹר וְטוֹב לַעֵינַיִם לִרְאוֹת אֶת־הַשָּׁמֶשׁ

After recommending that one act even in conditions of uncertainty, Kohelet stresses that one should also enjoy the brightness of the world: The light is sweet, and it is good for the eyes to see the sun.

כִּי אִם־שָׁנִים הַרְבֵּה יִחְיֶה הָאָדָם בְּכֻלָּם יִשְׂמָח וְיִזְכֹּר אֶת־יְמֵי הַחֹשֶׁךְ כִּי־הַרְבֵּה יִהְיוּ כָּל־שֶׁבָּא הָבֶל

For if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in all of them, and still, let him remember the days of darkness, old age, death, and bad times in general, as they will be many. He should remember that everything that is coming is futility.

שְׂמַח בָּחוּר בְּיַלְדוּתֶךָ וִיטִיבְךָ לִבְּךָ בִּימֵי בְחוּרוֹתֶיךָ וְהַלֵּךְ בְּדַרְכֵי לִבְּךָ וּבְמַרְאֵה עֵינֶיךָ ודָע כִּי עַל־כָּל־אֵלֶּה יְבִיאֲךָ הָאֱלֹהִים בַּמִּשְׁפָּט

Likewise, rejoice, young man, in your childhood. Let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes, but along with your enjoyment of the vast theater of action presented to you in your youth, know that for all these, God will bring you to judgment. The suggestion that you should do as you please is limited, as you cannot escape future judgment for your current choices.

וְהָסֵר כַּעַס מִלִּבֶּךָ וְהַעֲבֵר רָעָה מִבְּשָׂרֶךָ כִּי־הַיַּלְדוּת וְהַשַּׁחֲרוּת הָבֶל

Therefore, despite the recommendation that one should do as he wishes, remove anger from your heart, thereby purging evil from your flesh, as childhood and youth are futility. The pleasures of youth will lose all meaning when you reflect upon them from a mature perspective and assess their consequences.