Ecclesiastes 12
1 And remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, of which thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of adversity come and the years approach of which you will say, “I find no pleasure in them,”
2 before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, be darkened, and the clouds return after the rain;
before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is darkened, and the clouds return after the rain,
3 in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows are darkened,
on the day the keepers of the house tremble and the strong men stoop, when those grinding cease because they are few and those watching through windows see dimly,
4 and the doors are shut toward the street; when the sound of the grinding is subdued, and they rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low;
when the doors to the street are shut and the sound of the mill fades away, when one rises at the sound of a bird and all the daughters of song grow faint,
5 they are also afraid of what is high, and terrors are in the way, and the almond is despised, and the grasshopper is a burden, and the caper-berry is without effect; (for man goeth to his age-long home, and the mourners go about the streets; )
when men fear the heights and dangers of the road, when the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper loses its spring, and the caper berry shrivels— for then man goes to his eternal home and mourners walk the streets.
6 — before the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be shattered at the fountain, or the wheel be broken at the cistern;
Remember Him before the silver cord is snapped and the golden bowl is crushed, before the pitcher is shattered at the spring and the wheel is broken at the well,
7 and the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return unto God who gave it.
before the dust returns to the ground from which it came and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
8 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher: all is vanity.
“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher. “Everything is futile!”
9 And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, and sought out, [and] set in order many proverbs.
Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also taught the people knowledge; he pondered, searched out, and arranged many proverbs.
10 The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words; and that which was written is upright, words of truth.
The Teacher searched to find delightful sayings and to record accurate words of truth.
11 The words of the wise are as goads, and the collections [of them] as nails fastened in: they are given from one shepherd.
The words of the wise are like goads, and the anthologies of the masters are like firmly embedded nails driven by a single Shepherd.
12 And besides, my son, be warned by them: of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
And by these, my son, be further warned: There is no end to the making of many books, and much study wearies the body.
13 Let us hear the end of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole of man.
When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.
For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.
