Ecclesiastes 12
1 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';
Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of adversity come and the years approach of which you will say, “I find no pleasure in them,”
2 Before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain;
before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is darkened, and the clouds return after the rain,
3 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,
on the day the keepers of the house tremble and the strong men stoop, when those grinding cease because they are few and those watching through windows see dimly,
4 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;
when the doors to the street are shut and the sound of the mill fades away, when one rises at the sound of a bird and all the daughters of song grow faint,
5 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;
when men fear the heights and dangers of the road, when the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper loses its spring, and the caper berry shrivels— for then man goes to his eternal home and mourners walk the streets.
6 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;
Remember Him before the silver cord is snapped and the golden bowl is crushed, before the pitcher is shattered at the spring and the wheel is broken at the well,
7 And the dust returneth to the earth as it was, and the spirit returneth unto God who gave it.
before the dust returns to the ground from which it came and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
8 Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth; all is vanity.
“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher. “Everything is futile!”
9 And besides that Koheleth was wise, he also taught the people knowledge; yea, he pondered, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.
Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also taught the people knowledge; he pondered, searched out, and arranged many proverbs.
10 Koheleth sought to find out words of delight, and that which was written uprightly, even words of truth.
The Teacher searched to find delightful sayings and to record accurate words of truth.
11 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.
The words of the wise are like goads, and the anthologies of the masters are like firmly embedded nails driven by a single Shepherd.
12 And furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
And by these, my son, be further warned: There is no end to the making of many books, and much study wearies the body.
13 The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole man.
When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God shall bring every work into the judgment concerning every hidden thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.
For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.
