Ecclesiastes 12
1 Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of adversity come and the years approach of which you will say, “I find no pleasure in them,”
Yet remember thy Creator, in the days of thy vigour, —or ever come in, the days of discomfort, and the years arrive, in which thou shalt say—I have, in them, no pleasure;
2 before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is darkened, and the clouds return after the rain,
Or ever be darkened—the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, —and the clouds return after a downpour of rain;
3 on the day the keepers of the house tremble and the strong men stoop, when those grinding cease because they are few and those watching through windows see dimly,
In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the men of might bow themselves, —and the grinders cease because they are few, and they who look through the windows are darkened;
4 when the doors to the street are shut and the sound of the mill fades away, when one rises at the sound of a bird and all the daughters of song grow faint,
And the doors in the street be closed, when the sound of the mill become low, —and one rise at the chirp of a small bird, and low-voiced be all the daughters of song;
5 when men fear the heights and dangers of the road, when the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper loses its spring, and the caper berry shrivels— for then man goes to his eternal home and mourners walk the streets.
Yea, at what is high, they be in fear, and there be, terrors, in the way, and the almond be rejected, and the grasshopper drag itself along, and desire perish, —for man is going to his age-abiding home, when the wailers shall go round in the streets;
6 Remember Him before the silver cord is snapped and the golden bowl is crushed, before the pitcher is shattered at the spring and the wheel is broken at the well,
Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, —or the bucket by the fountain be shivered, or the wheel at the well be broken;
7 before the dust returns to the ground from which it came and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
And the dust return to the earth, as it was, —and, the spirit, return unto God, who gave it.
8 “Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher. “Everything is futile!”
Vanity of vanities, saith the Proclaimer, all, is vanity.
9 Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also taught the people knowledge; he pondered, searched out, and arranged many proverbs.
Besides that, the Proclaimer being wise, —still further taught knowledge unto the people, and weighed and searched, arranged proverbs in abundance.
10 The Teacher searched to find delightful sayings and to record accurate words of truth.
The Proclaimer sought to find out words giving delight, and to note down rightly, the words of truth.
11 The words of the wise are like goads, and the anthologies of the masters are like firmly embedded nails driven by a single Shepherd.
The words of the wise, are as goads, yea, as driven nails, their well-ordered sayings, —given from one shepherd.
12 And by these, my son, be further warned: There is no end to the making of many books, and much study wearies the body.
And besides, from them, my son, be admonished, —Of making many books, there is no end, and, much study, is a weariness of the flesh.
13 When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man.
The conclusion of the matter—the whole, let us hear, —Towards God, be reverent, and, his commandments, observe, for, this, [concerneth] all mankind.
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.
For, every work, will God bring into judgment, with every hidden thing, —whether good, or evil.
