Pūliņu un uzcītības vērtība
1 Sūti savu maizi pār ūdeņiem,
lai pēc daudz dienām to atkal dabūtu.
2 Dod septiņiem vai pat astoņiem katram pa daļai,
jo tu nezini, kas ļauns var notikt virs zemes.
3 Ja mākoņi ir pilni lietus,
tie izlīst pār zemi,
un, ja koks krīt pret dienvidiem vai ziemeļiem,
tas paliek guļam tajā vietā, kur krīt.
4 Kas uzmana vēju,
tas netiek pie sēšanas,
un, kas rauga mākoņus,
netiek pie pļaušanas.
5 Tāpat kā tu nezini,
kā gars nonāk kaulos grūtnieces miesā,
tāpat tu nezini,
kā Dievs dara visus savus darbus.
6 Tāpēc no rīta sēj savu sēklu
un vakarā neapturi roku,
jo tu nezini, kas izdosies – šis vai tas
vai abi būs vienlīdz labi.
Jaunība un vecums
7 Salda ir gaisma,
un jauki acīm redzēt sauli!
8 Ja daudz gadus cilvēks dzīvos – vislaik lai līksmo!
Un lai atceras: tumsas dienas būs daudzas,
viss, kas nāks, – tukšība!
9 Priecājies, puisi, savā zēnībā,
sirds lai tev līksmo jaunības dienās,
staigā, kur sirds tev liek un kur acis rāda,
bet zini, ka par visu Dievs tevi sauks pie tiesas!
10 Izmet rūpes no sirds, izdzen sāpes no miesas,
jo zēnība un dzīves rīts – ir tukšība!
What a Wise Person Does
1 Invest your money in foreign trade, and one of these days you will make a profit. 2 Put your investments in several places—many places even—because you never know what kind of bad luck you are going to have in this world.
3 No matter which direction a tree falls, it will lie where it fell. When the clouds are full, it rains. 4 If you wait until the wind and the weather are just right, you will never plant anything and never harvest anything. 5 God made everything, and you can no more understand what he does than you understand how new life begins in the womb of a pregnant woman. 6 Do your planting in the morning and in the evening, too. You never know whether it will all grow well or whether one planting will do better than the other.
7 It is good to be able to enjoy the pleasant light of day. 8 Be grateful for every year you live. No matter how long you live, remember that you will be dead much longer. There is nothing at all to look forward to.
Advice to Young People
9 Young people, enjoy your youth. Be happy while you are still young. Do what you want to do, and follow your heart's desire. But remember that God is going to judge you for whatever you do.
10 Don't let anything worry you or cause you pain. You aren't going to be young very long.
