Ecclesiastes 12
1 Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the time of affliction arrives and the years draw near, about which you will say, “These do not please me.”
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 Before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars are darkened and 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 when the guardians of the house will tremble, and the strongest men will waver, and those who grind grain will be idle, except for a small number, and those who look through the keyholes will be darkened.
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 will close the doors to the street, when the voice of he who grinds the grain will be humbled, and they will be disturbed at the sound of a flying thing, and all the daughters of song shall become deaf.
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 Likewise, they will fear the things above them, and they will dread the way. The almond tree will flourish; the locust will be fattened; and the caper plant will be scattered, because man shall go into the house of his eternity, and the mourners shall wander around in the street.
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 is broken, and the golden band pulls away, and the pitcher is crushed over the fountain, and the wheel is broken above 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 and the dust returns to its earth, from which it was, and the spirit returns to God, who granted 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 Ecclesiastes, and all is vanity!
All things are to no purpose, says the Preacher, all is to no purpose.
9 And since Ecclesiastes was very wise, he taught the people, and he described what he had accomplished. And while searching, he composed many 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 He sought useful words, and he wrote most righteous words, which were full 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 like a goad, and like nails deeply fastened, which, through the counsel of teachers, are set forth by one pastor.
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 You should require no more than this, my son. For there is no end to the making of many books. And excessive study is an affliction to 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 Let us all listen together to the end of the discourse. Fear God, and observe his commandments. This is everything for 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 And so, for all that is done and for each error, God will bring judgment: whether it was good or evil.
God will be judge of every work, with every secret thing, good or evil.
