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New Living Translation
Ecclesiastes 11:4
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One who watches the wind will not sow,and the one who looks at the clouds will not reap.
He who observes the wind won't sow; And he who regards the clouds won't reap.
He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.
He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.
One who watches the wind will not sow and one who looks at the clouds will not harvest.
Those who wait for perfect weather will never plant seeds; those who look at every cloud will never harvest crops.
He who watches the wind [waiting for all conditions to be perfect] will not sow [seed], and he who looks at the clouds will not reap [a harvest].
He who observes the wind won't sow; And he who regards the clouds won't reap.
He that obserueth ye winde, shall not sow, and he that regardeth the cloudes, shall not reape.
He who watches the wind will not sow, and he who looks at the clouds will not reap.
He who watches the wind will fail to sow, and he who observes the clouds will fail to reap.
If you worry about the weather and don't plant seeds, you won't harvest a crop.
He who keeps watching the wind will never sow; he who keeps looking at the clouds will never reap.
He that observeth the wind will not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds will not reap.
But there are some things that you cannot be sure of. You must take a chance. If you wait for perfect weather, you will never plant your seeds. If you are afraid that every cloud will bring rain, you will never harvest your crops.
He who observes the wind shall not sow; and he who regards the clouds shall not reap.
If you wait until the wind and the weather are just right, you will never plant anything and never harvest anything.
Whoever watches the wind will not sow; whoever watches the clouds will not reap.
He who watches the wind shall not sow. And he who looks at the clouds shall not reap.
He that regardeth ye wynde, shal not sowe: and he that hath respecte vnto the cloudes, shal not reape.
He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.
He who is watching the wind will not get the seed planted, and he who is looking at the clouds will not get in the grain.
He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.
He that obserueth the wind, shall not sow: and hee that regardeth the clouds, shall not reape.
He that regardeth the winde, shall not sowe: and he that hath respect vnto the cloudes, shall not reape.
He that observes the wind sows not; and he that looks at the clouds will not reap.
He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.
He that aspieth the wynd, sowith not; and he that biholdith the cloudis, schal neuere repe.
He that observes the wind shall not sow; and he that regards the clouds shall not reap.
He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.
He who watches the wind will not sow, and he who observes the clouds will not reap.
He who observes the wind will not sow, And he who regards the clouds will not reap.
He who watches the wind will not plant his seeds. And he who looks at the clouds will not gather the food.
Whoever observes the wind will not sow; and whoever regards the clouds will not reap.
He that observeth the wind, will not sow, - and, he that watcheth the clouds, will not reap.
He that observeth the wind, shall not sow: and he that considereth the clouds, shall never reap.
He who observes the wind will not sow; and he who regards the clouds will not reap.
Whoso is observing the wind soweth not, And whoso is looking on the thick clouds reapeth not.
He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Proverbs 3:27, Proverbs 20:4, Proverbs 22:13
Reciprocal: Haggai 1:2 - This Mark 4:26 - as John 3:8 - wind
Cross-References
In those days, and for some time after, giant Nephilites lived on the earth, for whenever the sons of God had intercourse with women, they gave birth to children who became the heroes and famous warriors of ancient times.
In that way, the Lord scattered them all over the world, and they stopped building the city.
That is why the city was called Babel, because that is where the Lord confused the people with different languages. In this way he scattered them all over the world.
After the birth of Arphaxad, Shem lived another 500 years and had other sons and daughters.
After the birth of Shelah, Arphaxad lived another 403 years and had other sons and daughters.
Where can we go? Our brothers have demoralized us with their report. They tell us, "The people of the land are taller and more powerful than we are, and their towns are large, with walls rising high into the sky! We even saw giants there—the descendants of Anak!"'
For the Lord will scatter you among the nations, where only a few of you will survive.
"Listen, O Israel! Today you are about to cross the Jordan River to take over the land belonging to nations much greater and more powerful than you. They live in cities with walls that reach to the sky!
So David became even more famous when he returned from destroying 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
Your enemies, Lord , will surely perish; all evildoers will be scattered.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
He that observeth the wind shall not sow,.... Who before he sows his seed is careful to observe where the wind is, from what corner it blows, and forbears sowing until it is down or changes, lest it should be troublesome unto him in sowing, or blow away his seed, and waits for a better season; such a man may lose his seedtime and never sow at all, and his grain in his barn may be devoured by vermin, or be destroyed by one accident or another, and so he may lose both his seed and his crop;
and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap; which are uncertain signs of weather; and if a man gives heed to them, and puts off his sowing from time to time, for the sake of better weather, as he may never sow, so it is impossible that he should reap; and if he sows, and when his grain is ripe and forbears to reap because of the clouds, lest his grain should be wet, may never reap at all: and so it is with respect to liberality; if a man will raise difficulties, and make objections, and attend unto them; if he puts off giving till such an affliction is removed from him and his family, or that is grown up; or such an estate is obtained, or he has got to such an amount of riches, or till more proper and deserving objects present, with twenty things more of the like kind; if he defers giving on such accounts, or through fear of want, which may possess his mind for various reasons, he may never give nor get, yea, never do any good work; for, if nothing is done till all difficulties are removed, no good thing will ever be done.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
“Unforeseen events come from God; and the man who is always gazing on the uncertain future will neither begin nor complete any useful work: but do thou bear in mind that times and circumstances, the powers of nature and the results to which they minister, are in the hand of God; and be both diligent and trustful.” The images are connected chiefly with the occupation of an agricultural laborer: the discharge of rain from the cloud, and the inclination of the falling tree, and the direction of the wind, are beyond his control, though the result of his work is affected by them. The common application of the image of the fallen tree to the state of departed souls was probably not in the mind of the inspired writer.
Ecclesiastes 11:5
Spirit - The same Hebrew word (like πνεῦμα pneuma in Greek and “Spirit” in English) signifies both the wind Ecclesiastes 11:4 and the Spirit (compare marginal reference). The Old Testament in many places recognizes the special operation of God Job 10:8-12; Psalms 139:13-16; Jeremiah 1:5, and distinctly of the Spirit of God Job 31:15 in the origination of every child. Compare Genesis 2:7.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Ecclesiastes 11:4. He that observeth the wind shall not sow — The man that is too scrupulous is never likely to succeed in any thing. If a man neither plough nor sow till the weather is entirely to his mind, the season will in all probability pass before he will have done any thing: so, if thou be too nice in endeavouring to find out who are the impostors among those who profess to be in want, the real object may perish, whom otherwise thou mightest have relieved, and whose life might have been thereby saved. Those very punctilious and scrupulous people, who will sift every thing to the bottom in every case, and, before they will act, must be fully satisfied on all points, seldom do any good, and are themselves generally good for nothing. While they are observing the clouds and the rain, others have joined hands with God, and made a poor man live.
