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.”
Remember then thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when thou shalt 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,
Before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, are darkened, and the clouds return 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 shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out shall be darkened in the windows,
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.
And the doors shall be shut in the street, when the sound of the grinding is low; and one shall start up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought 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.
Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and terrors shall be in the way; and the almond-tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall drag itself along, and the caperberry shall fail; because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about 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 the silver cord is snapped asunder, and the golden bowl is shattered, and the pitcher is broken at the fountain, and the wheel falleth shattered, into the pit;
7 and the dust returns to its earth, from which it was, and the spirit returns to God, who granted it.
And the dust returneth to the earth as it was, and the spirit returneth unto God who gave it.
8 Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, and all is vanity!
Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth; all is vanity.
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 besides that Koheleth was wise, he also taught the people knowledge; yea, he pondered, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.
10 He sought useful words, and he wrote most righteous words, which were full of truth.
Koheleth sought to find out words of delight, and that which was written uprightly, even words of truth.
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 as goads, and as nails well fastened are those that are composed in collections; they are given from one shepherd.
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 furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of 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.
The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole man.
14 And so, for all that is done and for each error, God will bring judgment: whether it was good or evil.
For God shall bring every work into the judgment concerning every hidden thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.
