⁵God 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. ⁶Do your sowing in the morning and in the evening, too. You never know whether it will all grow well or whether one sowing will do better than the other.

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In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.

In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

As you do not know the path of the wind,

or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb,

so you cannot understand the work of God,

the Maker of all things.

Sow your seed in the morning,

and at evening let your hands not be idle,

for you do not know which will succeed,

whether this or that,

or whether both will do equally well.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Just as you don’t know the path of the wind,

or how bones develop in the womb of a pregnant woman,

so also you don’t know the work of God who makes everything.

In the morning sow your seed,

and at evening do not let your hand rest,

because you don’t know which will succeed,

whether one or the other,

or if both of them will be equally good.

NLTNew Living Translation

Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things.

Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Just as you do not know how the path of the wind goes,

nor how the bones of a fetus form in a mother’s womb,

so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.

Sow your seed in the morning,

and do not let your hands rest in the evening,

for you do not know what will prosper—

whether this or that, or whether both of them alike will succeed.

KJV 1900King James Version

As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

Public Domain