1 Ship your grain across the sea;

after many days you may receive a return.

2 Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight;

you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.

1 Cast your bread upon the waters,

for you will find it after many days.

2 Give a portion to seven, or even to eight,

for you know not what disaster may happen on earth.

1 Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. 2 Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.

1 Send your grain across the seas,

and in time, profits will flow back to you.

2 But divide your investments among many places,

for you do not know what risks might lie ahead.

1 Invest what you have,

because after a while you will get a return.

2 Invest what you have in several different businesses,

because you don’t know what disasters might happen.

1 Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days. 2 Give a portion to seven, yea, even unto eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.

1 Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days. 2 Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.

1 Throw your bread on the surface of the water, because you will find it again after many days. 

2 Divide what you have into seven parts, or even into eight, because you don’t know what disaster may happen on earth. 

1 Send your bread on the surface of the waters,

for after many days you may find it.

2 Give a portion to seven or even to eight,

for you don’t know what disaster may happen on earth.

1 Send out your bread upon the waters,

for after many days you will get it back.

2 Divide your means seven ways, or even eight,

for you do not know what disaster may happen on earth.

1 Send out your bread on the water,

for in many days you will find it.

2 Divide your share in seven or in eight,

for you do not know what disaster will happen on the earth.

1 Put your money into trade across the ocean.

After a while you will earn something from it.

2 Give shares of what you earn to a lot of people.

After all, you don’t know what great trouble might come on the land.

1 Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days.

2 Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.