Ecclesiastes 11:4
Translations
King James Version (KJV)
He that observes the wind shall not sow; and he that regards the clouds shall not reap.
American King James Version (AKJV)
He that observes the wind shall not sow; and he that regards the clouds shall not reap.
American Standard Version (ASV)
He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.
Basic English Translation (BBE)
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.
Webster's Revision
He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.
World English Bible
He who observes the wind won't sow; and he who regards the clouds won't reap.
English Revised Version (ERV)
He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.
Clarke's Ecclesiastes 11:4 Bible Commentary
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 endeavoring 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.
Wesley's Ecclesiastes 11:4 Bible Commentary
11:4 He - He who neglects the necessary works of sowing and reaping, because the weather is not exactly suitable to his desires will lose his harvest. Whereby he intimates, that men will never do good here, which is expressed by sowing, and consequently not receive good hereafter, which is called reaping, if they be discouraged from it by every doubt and difficulty.