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.”
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.
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 and light are not darkened, nor the moon and the stars; nor 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 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;
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 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;
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 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:
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 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;
7 and the dust returns to its earth, from which it was, and the spirit returns to God, who granted it.
[before] the dust also return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return to God who gave it.
8 Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, and all is vanity!
Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher; 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 because the Preacher was wise above [others, so it was] that he taught man excellent knowledge, and the ear will trace out the parables.
10 He sought useful words, and he wrote most righteous words, which were full of truth.
The Preacher sought diligently to find out acceptable words, and a correct writing, [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 firmly fastened, which have been given from one shepherd by agreement.
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 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.
13 Let us all listen together to the end of the discourse. Fear God, and observe his commandments. This is everything for man.
Hear the end of the matter, the sun: 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 will bring every work into judgment, with everything that has been overlooked, whether [it be] good, or whether [it be] evil.
