Ecclesiastes 12

1 Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the time of affliction come, and the years draw nigh of which thou shalt say: They please me not:

Also call to mind your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of difficulty come, and before the years arrive when you say, “I have 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:

do this before the light of the sun and the moon and the stars grows dark, and dark clouds return after the rain.

3 When the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall stagger, and the grinders shall be idle in a small number, and they that look through the holes shall be darkened:

That will be the time when the palace guards will tremble, and strong men are bent over, and the women who grind cease because they are few, and those who look out of windows no longer see clearly.

4 And they shall shut the doors in the street, when the grinder’s voice shall be low, and they shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall grow deaf.

That will be the time when the doors are shut in the street, and the sound of grinding stops, when men are startled at the voice of a bird, and the singing of girls' voices fades away.

5 And they shall fear high things, and they shall be afraid in the way, the almond tree shall flourish, the locust shall be made fat, and the caper tree shall be destroyed: because man shall go into the house of his eternity, and the mourners shall go round about in the street.

That will be the time when men become afraid of heights and of dangers along on the road, and when the almond tree blossoms, and when grasshoppers drag themselves along, and when natural desires fail. Then man goes to his eternal home and the mourners go down the streets.

6 Before the silver cord be broken, and the golden fillet shrink back, and the pitcher be crushed at the fountain, and the wheel be broken upon the cistern,

Call to mind your Creator before the silver cord is cut, or the golden bowl is crushed, or the pitcher is shattered at the spring, or the water wheel is broken at the well,

7 And the dust return into its earth, from whence it was, and the spirit return to God, who gave it.

before the dust returns to the earth where it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

8 Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, and all things are vanity.

“A mist of vapor,” says the Teacher, “everything is vanishing vapor.”

9 And whereas Ecclesiastes was very wise, he taught the people, and declared the things that he had done: and seeking out, he set forth many parables.

The Teacher was wise and he taught the people knowledge. He studied and contemplated and set in order many proverbs.

10 He sought profitable words, and wrote words most right, and full of truth.

The Teacher sought to write using vivid, upright words of truth.

11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails deeply fastened in, which by the counsel of masters are given from one shepherd.

The words of wise people are like goads. Like nails driven deeply are the words of the masters in collections of their proverbs, which are taught by one shepherd.

12 More than these, my son, require not. Of making many books there is no end: and much study is an affliction of the flesh.

My son, be aware of something more: the making of many books, which has no end and much study brings weariness to the body.

13 Let us all hear together the conclusion of the discourse. Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is all man:

The end of the matter after everything has been heard, is that you must fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of mankind.

14 And all things that are done, God will bring into judgment for every error, whether it be good or evil.

For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.