Ecclesiastes 12
1 Remember your Creator while you are young, before days of trouble come and you grow old, saying, “I'm not enjoying life anymore.”
Let your mind be turned to your Maker in the days of your strength, while the evil days come not, and the years are far away when you will say, I have no pleasure in them;
2 Before the light fades—sun, moon, and stars—and rain clouds return to darken the skies.
While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, are not dark, and the clouds come not back after the rain;
3 Before the guards of the house tremble and the strong men are bent over, the grinders stop working because there are only a few left, and the ones looking through the windows only see dimly,
In the day when the keepers of the house are shaking for fear, and the strong men are bent down, and the women who were crushing the grain are at rest because their number is small, and those looking out of the windows are unable to see;
4 and the doors to the street are shut. Before the sound of the grinding mill grows low, and you wake up early when the birds are singing, but you can hardly hear them.
When the doors are shut in the street, and the sound of the crushing is low, and the voice of the bird is soft, and the daughters of music will be made low;
5 Before you develop a fear of heights and worry about going out on the streets; when the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper crawls along, and desire fails, for everyone has to go to their eternal home as the mourners go up and down the street.
And he is in fear of that which is high, and danger is in the road, and the tree is white with flower, and the least thing is a weight, and desire is at an end, because man goes to his last resting-place, and those who are sorrowing are in the streets;
6 Before the silver cord is snapped and the golden bowl is broken; before the water jug is smashed at the spring, or the pulley is broken at the well.
Before ever the silver cord is cut, or the vessel of gold is broken, or the pot is broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the water-hole;
7 Then the dust returns to the earth from which it came, and the breath of life returns to God who gave it.
And the dust goes back to the earth as it was, and the spirit goes back to God who gave it.
8 “Everything passes! It's all so hard to understand!” says the Teacher.
All things are to no purpose, says the Preacher, all is to no purpose.
9 Not only was the Teacher a wise man, he also taught what he knew to others. He thought about many proverbs, studying them and arranging them.
And because the Preacher was wise he still gave the people knowledge; searching out, testing, and putting in order a great number of wise sayings.
10 The Teacher looked for the best way to explain things, writing truthfully and honestly.
The Preacher made search for words which were pleasing, but his writing was in words upright and true.
11 The words of the wise are like cattle prods. Their collected sayings are like nails driven home, given by one shepherd.
The words of the wise are pointed, and sayings grouped together are like nails fixed with a hammer; they are given by one guide.
12 In addition, my student, take care, for there's no end to book writing, and too much study wears you out.
And further, my son, take note of this: of the making of books there is no end, and much learning is a weariness to the flesh.
13 To sum up now that everything has been discussed: Respect God by keeping his commandments, for that's what everyone should do.
This is the last word. All has been said. Have fear of God and keep his laws; because this is right for every man.
14 God is going to judge us for everything we do, including what we do secretly, whether good or bad.
God will be judge of every work, with every secret thing, good or evil.
