Remove vexation from your mind: when Qoheleth speaks of removing vexation, he probably means the same thing as he intended in 1.18; 2.23, where the term identified anything that prevented enjoyment. Here vexation is in a person’s heart or mind. New English Bible suggests the rendering “discontent.” By advising people to Remove what troubles them, Qoheleth seems to be saying in a negative way the same thing he expressed positively in verse 9, when he said “let your heart cheer you.” His meaning is then that we should take our minds off those things that cause trouble and discontent. In other languages troubles or cares may reside in the heart, as in Hebrew, or they may be in the head, the liver, or before the eyes. An appropriate verb must also be found, such as “take away,” “turn away from,” or “avoid.”

Put away pain from your body is similar to the thought of the previous phrase. Not only is the mind to be set free of what troubles it, but the body also is to be released from pain. Physical pain is not something we can dismiss; it is real. Qoheleth’s thought here then must be something like “Do not let pain [physical or mental] prevent you from doing what I encourage you to do, to rejoice.” We can translate this in the following manner: “Take your mind off the problems you face. Put aside what pains you.” Good News Translation combines the two clauses into one: “Don’t let anything worry you or cause you pain.” Bible en français courant does the same: “Avoid things that cause you sadness and sickness.”

For youth and the dawn of life are vanity: here Qoheleth offers the reason for doing as he suggests. This time it is not God’s judgment that provides the motive for living wisely; rather it is something else, the fact that the period of our youth is hevel. For youth see comments on verse 9. Dawn of life is the Revised Standard Version and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible rendering of a Hebrew term found only here. We have to discover its meaning from the context, so we conclude that it must be an alternative expression for youth. Crenshaw suggests the form comes from a verb meaning “to be black,” which explains why some versions (New Jerusalem Bible and Jerusalem Bible, for example) translate “black hair.” Whether the expression means “dawn” or “black hair,” these must be understood as metaphors for youth—either a time when life begins in earnest, or a time that contrasts with old age (the time of gray or white hair). At least two versions speak of “vigor” (New International Version and Bible en français courant), but it is difficult to know where this interpretation is drawn from. The translator may choose one interpretation and put the other(s) in a footnote. However, before making a final decision we need to study the meaning of the key phrase hevel in this context, as this can influence our choice.

Vanity cannot possibly mean that these years are meaningless and empty (as New English Bible and others suggest). For Qoheleth these are the crucial years when important decisions of life are made. As we have seen throughout our study, there are other possibilities for translating hevel. In some contexts hevel means “short-lived” or “fleeting.” This interpretation has influenced Good News Translation “You aren’t going to be young very long,” and NJV “For youth and black hair are fleeting.” But another possibility is that hevel here refers to the pain and frustration we feel when we cannot fully understand life’s difficulties and injustices. This interpretation seems to fit the context more than the notion of fleeting youth.

In some languages the metaphor may be quite acceptable as it is:

• Because our youth—the dawn of our life—is full of many unanswered questions.

Alternatively we can use a more idiomatic expression:

• For when our life is just beginning, so much is a mystery!

The statement is a comment on the entire section, not just upon youthfulness. That is to say, rejoicing and preventing problems from crippling us are important things to do, because there is no other way to cope with life’s enigmas and unanswered questions.

This verse brings us to the end of chapter 11, but as we have already noted, the section that began in 11.7 carries over into chapter 12. Because of this, the break between chapters should not be made too obvious.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Zogbo, Lynell. A Handbook on the Book of Ecclesiates. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .