Ecclesiastes 12

1 And remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of evil come, and the years overtake [you] in which you shall say, I have no pleasure in them.

Let your mind be turned to your Maker in the days of your strength, while the evil days come not, and the years are far away when you will say, I have no pleasure in them;

2 While the sun and light are not darkened, nor the moon and the stars; nor the clouds return after the rain:

While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, are not dark, and the clouds come not back after the rain;

3 in the day wherein the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the mighty men shall become bent, and the grinding [women] cease because they have become few, and the [women] looking out at the windows be dark;

In the day when the keepers of the house are shaking for fear, and the strong men are bent down, and the women who were crushing the grain are at rest because their number is small, and those looking out of the windows are unable to see;

4 and they shall shut the doors in the marketplace, because of the weakness of the voice of her that grinds [at the mill]; and he shall rise up at the voice of the sparrow, and all the daughters of song shall be brought low;

When the doors are shut in the street, and the sound of the crushing is low, and the voice of the bird is soft, and the daughters of music will be made low;

5 and they shall look up, and fears [shall be] in the way, and the almond tree shall blossom, and the locust shall increase, and the caper shall be scattered: because man has gone to his eternal home, and the mourners have gone about the market:

And he is in fear of that which is high, and danger is in the road, and the tree is white with flower, and the least thing is a weight, and desire is at an end, because man goes to his last resting-place, and those who are sorrowing are in the streets;

6 before the silver cord be [let go], or the choice gold be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel run down to the cistern;

Before ever the silver cord is cut, or the vessel of gold is broken, or the pot is broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the water-hole;

7 [before] the dust also return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return to God who gave it.

And the dust goes back to the earth as it was, and the spirit goes back to God who gave it.

8 Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher; all is vanity.

All things are to no purpose, says the Preacher, all is to no purpose.

9 And because the Preacher was wise above [others, so it was] that he taught man excellent knowledge, and the ear will trace out the parables.

And because the Preacher was wise he still gave the people knowledge; searching out, testing, and putting in order a great number of wise sayings.

10 The Preacher sought diligently to find out acceptable words, and a correct writing, [even] words of truth.

The Preacher made search for words which were pleasing, but his writing was in words upright and true.

11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails firmly fastened, which have been given from one shepherd by agreement.

The words of the wise are pointed, and sayings grouped together are like nails fixed with a hammer; they are given by one guide.

12 And moreover, my son, guard yourself by means of them: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

And further, my son, take note of this: of the making of books there is no end, and much learning is a weariness to the flesh.

13 Hear the end of the matter, the sun: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole man.

This is the last word. All has been said. Have fear of God and keep his laws; because this is right for every man.

14 For God will bring every work into judgement, with everything that has been overlooked, whether [it be] good, or whether [it be] evil.

God will be judge of every work, with every secret thing, good or evil.