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.”
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 light fades—sun, moon, and stars—and rain clouds return to darken the skies.
do this before the light of the sun and the moon and the stars grows dark, and dark 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,
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 Then the dust returns to the earth from which it came, and the breath of life returns 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 “Everything passes! It's all so hard to understand!” says the Teacher.
“A mist of vapor,” says the Teacher, “everything is vanishing vapor.”
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.
The Teacher was wise and he taught the people knowledge. He studied and contemplated and set in order many proverbs.
10 The Teacher looked for the best way to explain things, writing truthfully and honestly.
The Teacher sought to write using vivid, upright 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 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 In addition, my student, take care, for there's no end to book writing, and too much study wears you out.
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 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 after everything has been heard, is that you must fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of mankind.
14 God is going to judge us for everything we do, including what we do secretly, whether good or bad.
For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
