Ecclesiastes 11

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text, which includes Codex Leningradensis (1008).[6][lower-alpha 1]

There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus (B; ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^B; 4th century), Codex Sinaiticus (S; BHK: ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^S; 4th century), and Codex Alexandrinus (A; ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^A; 5th century).[8] The Greek text is probably derived from the work of Aquila of Sinope or his followers.[3]

Cast your bread upon the waters,

for you will find it after many days.[9]

• "Cast your bread upon the waters": a saying about spontaneous good deeds,[10] It seems to have a parallel in the Egyptian wisdom text Instruction of 'Onchsheshonqy (19.10), 'where the good deed thrown in the water is later recovered when dry'.[11]
• "Bread" is in the sense of "goods, livelihood" (Deuteronomy 8:3).[5]

If the clouds are full of rain,

they empty themselves on the earth,

and if a tree falls to the south or to the north,

in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.[12]

This verse has been interpreted as having an eschatological dimension "because death will shortly cut us down".[13]

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.[14]

This is not to imply that enjoyment is contrary to God's will, because Qoheleth states multiple times that enjoyment is God's gift (2:24-26; 3:10-15; 5:18-20; 9:7-9), so it is more to mean that God will judge people for the failure to accept the gift of enjoyment.[10]