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 also your Creator in days of your youth, While that the evil days do not come, Nor the years have arrived, that you 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 that the sun is not darkened, and the light, And the moon, and the stars, And the thick clouds returned 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 that keepers of the house tremble, And men of strength have bowed themselves, And grinders have ceased, because they have become few. And those looking out at the windows have become dim,

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 doors have been shut in the street. When the noise of the grinding is low, And [one] rises at the voice of the bird, And all daughters of song are bowed down.

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 of that which is high they are afraid, And of the low places in the way, And the almond-tree is despised, And the grasshopper has become a burden, And want is increased, For man is going to his perpetual home, And the mourners have gone around through the street.

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,

While that the silver cord is not removed, And the golden bowl broken, And the pitcher broken by the fountain, And the wheel broken at the well.

7 and the dust returns to its earth, from which it was, and the spirit returns to God, who granted it.

And the dust returns to the earth as it was, And the spirit returns to God who gave it.

8 Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, and all is vanity!

Vanity of vanities, said the preacher, the whole [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 further, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge, and gave ear, and sought out—he made right many allegories.

10 He sought useful words, and he wrote most righteous words, which were full of truth.

The preacher sought to find out pleasing words, and [that] written [by] the upright—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.

Words of the wise [are] as the goads, and as nails planted [by] the masters of collections, they have been given by 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 further, from these, my son, be warned; the making of many scrolls has 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 whole matter let us hear: “Fear God, and keep His commands, for this [is] the whole of man.

14 And so, for all that is done and for each error, God will bring judgment: whether it was good or evil.

For every work God brings into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether good or bad.”