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.”
Remember nowe thy Creator in the daies of thy youth, whiles the euill daies come not, nor the yeeres approche, wherein thou shalt say, I haue no pleasure in them:
2 Before the light fades—sun, moon, and stars—and rain clouds return to darken the skies.
Whiles the sunne is not darke, nor ye light, nor the moone, nor the starres, nor the cloudes returne after the raine:
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,
When the keepers of ye house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow them selues, and the grinders shall cease, because they are few, and they waxe darke that looke out by ye windowes:
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.
And the doores shall be shut without by the base sound of the grinding, and he shall rise vp at the voice of the birde: and all the daughters of singing shall be abased.
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.
Also they shalbe afraide of the hie thing, and feare shalbe in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grassehopper shall be a burden, and concupiscence shall be driuen away: for man goeth to the house of his age, and the mourners goe about in the streete.
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.
Whiles the siluer coarde is not lengthened, nor the golden ewer broken, nor the pitcher broken at the well, nor the wheele broken at the cisterne:
7 Then the dust returns to the earth from which it came, and the breath of life returns to God who gave it.
And dust returne to the earth as it was, and the spirit returne to God that gaue it.
8 “Everything passes! It's all so hard to understand!” says the Teacher.
Vanitie of vanities, saieth the Preacher, all is vanitie.
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 the more wise the Preacher was, the more he taught the people knowledge, and caused them to heare, and searched foorth, and prepared many parables.
10 The Teacher looked for the best way to explain things, writing truthfully and honestly.
The Preacher sought to finde out pleasant wordes, and an vpright writing, euen the wordes of trueth.
11 The words of the wise are like cattle prods. Their collected sayings are like nails driven home, given by one shepherd.
The wordes of the wise are like goads, and like nailes fastened by the masters of the assemblies, which are giuen by one pastour.
12 In addition, my student, take care, for there's no end to book writing, and too much study wears you out.
And of other things beside these, my sone, take thou heede: for there is none ende in making many bookes, and much reading is a wearines of 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.
Let vs heare the end of all: feare God and keepe his commandements: for this is the whole duetie of man.
14 God is going to judge us for everything we do, including what we do secretly, whether good or bad.
For God will bring euery worke vnto iudgement, with euery secret thing, whether it be good or euill.
