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 then thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say: 'I have no pleasure in them';
2 Before the light fades—sun, moon, and stars—and rain clouds return to darken the skies.
Before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, are darkened, and the clouds return 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 shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out shall be darkened in the windows,
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 doors shall be shut in the street, when the sound of the grinding is low; and one shall start up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought 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.
Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and terrors shall be in the way; and the almond-tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall drag itself along, and the caperberry shall fail; because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about 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 the silver cord is snapped asunder, and the golden bowl is shattered, and the pitcher is broken at the fountain, and the wheel falleth shattered, into the pit;
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 returneth to the earth as it was, and the spirit returneth unto God who gave it.
8 “Everything passes! It's all so hard to understand!” says the Teacher.
Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth; all is vanity.
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 besides that Koheleth was wise, he also taught the people knowledge; yea, he pondered, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.
10 The Teacher looked for the best way to explain things, writing truthfully and honestly.
Koheleth sought to find out words of delight, and that which was written uprightly, even words of truth.
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 as goads, and as nails well fastened are those that are composed in collections; they are given from one shepherd.
12 In addition, my student, take care, for there's no end to book writing, and too much study wears you out.
And furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness 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.
The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole man.
14 God is going to judge us for everything we do, including what we do secretly, whether good or bad.
For God shall bring every work into the judgment concerning every hidden thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.
