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';

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 sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain;

do this before the light of the sun and the moon and the stars grows dark, and dark 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,

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 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;

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 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;

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 asunder, and the golden bowl is shattered, and the pitcher is broken at the fountain, and the wheel falleth shattered, into the pit;

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 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 earth where it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

8 Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth; all is vanity.

“A mist of vapor,” says the Teacher, “everything is vanishing vapor.”

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.

The Teacher was wise and he taught the people knowledge. He studied and contemplated and set in order many proverbs.

10 Koheleth sought to find out words of delight, and that which was written uprightly, even words of truth.

The Teacher sought to write using vivid, upright 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 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 And furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

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 The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole man.

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 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 it is good or evil.