¹Kandira zvokudya zvako pamusoro pemvura, nekuti uchazviwanazve mazuva mazhinji apfuura.

¹Send forth thy bread on the face of the waters, For in the multitude of the days thou dost find it.

²Goverana navanomwe, kunyange navaserewo, nekuti hauzivi zvakaipa zvakadini zvingava panyika.

²Give a portion to seven, and even to eight, For thou knowest not what evil is on the earth.

³Kana makore azara nemvura, anoidururira panyika; uye kana muti ukawira pasi kurutivi rwezasi, kana rwokumusoro, ipo panowira muti ndipo pauchavata.

³If the thick clouds are full of rain, On the earth they empty [themselves]; And if a tree doth fall in the south or to the north, The place where the tree falleth, there it is.

⁴Anogara achicherekedza mhepo haangakushi; uye anotarira makore, haangacheki.

⁴Whoso is observing the wind soweth not, And whoso is looking on the thick clouds reapeth not.

⁵Sezvausingazivi mafambiro wemhepo, kana makuriro amafupa mudumbu romukadzi ane mimba, saizvozvowo hauzivi basa raMwari, anoita zvose.

⁵As thou knowest not what [is] the way of the spirit, How — bones in the womb of the full one, So thou knowest not the work of God who maketh the whole.

⁶Kusha mbeu dzako mangwanani, usabvisa ruoko rwako madekwana; nekuti hauzivi kuti chichakura ndechipi, kana ichi kana icho, kana zvimwe zviviri zvose zvichafanana pakunaka.

⁶In the morning sow thy seed, And at even withdraw not thy hand, For thou knowest not which is right, this or that, Or whether both of them alike [are] good.

⁷Zvirokwazvo, chiedza chakanaka, uye meso anofara nokuona zuva.

⁷Sweet also [is] the light, And good for the eyes to see the sun.

⁸Zvirokwazvo, kana munhu akararama makore mazhinji, ngaafarire ose; asi ngaarangarire mazuva erima, kuti achava mazhinji; zvose zvinozouya hazvina maturo.

⁸But, if man liveth many years, In all of them let him rejoice, And remember the days of darkness, For they are many! all that is coming [is] vanity.

⁹Fara hako, iwe jaya, pauduku hwako, moyo wako ngaukufadze pamazuva ohujaya hwako; famba nenzira dzomoyo wako, napakuona kwameso ako; asi uzive kuti Mwari uchazokutonga pamusoro paizvozvo zvose.

⁹Rejoice, O young man, in thy childhood, And let thy heart gladden thee in days of thy youth, And walk in the ways of thy heart, And in the sight of thine eyes, And know thou that for all these, Doth God bring thee into judgment.

¹⁰Dzinga zvinonetsa pamoyo pako, ubvise zvakaipa panyama yako, nekuti uduku noujaya hazvinamaturo.

¹⁰And turn aside anger from thy heart, And cause evil to pass from thy flesh, For the childhood and the age [are] vanity!