Cast Your Bread upon the Waters

The Teacher tells the reader to cast bread upon the waters and divide a portion among many, because one cannot know what disaster may come upon the land or how scattered ventures may later return. Natural processes continue with their own inevitability, as full clouds empty rain and a falling tree stays where it lies, reminding the reader that life includes fixed events beyond human management.

C¹ast your bread upon the waters, ²Divide your portion among seven, or even eight, ³If the clouds are full,

The person who watches the wind and clouds too closely will never sow or reap, because caution can become an excuse for inaction. Since no one knows the path of the wind, the mystery of life in the womb, or the full work of God, the proper response is sustained diligence: sow in the morning, do not withhold the hand in the evening, and leave open which effort God may prosper.

⁴He who watches the wind will fail to sow, ⁵As you do not know the path of the wind, ⁶Sow your seed in the morning,