Ecclesiastes 12

1 And remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of evil come, and the years overtake [you] in which you shall say, I have no pleasure in them.

Remember, also, thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, of which thou shalt say, “I have no pleasure in them;”

2 While the sun and light are not darkened, nor the moon and the stars; nor the clouds return after the rain:

before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars become dark, and the clouds return after the rain;

3 in the day wherein the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the mighty men shall become bent, and the grinding [women] cease because they have become few, and the [women] looking out at the windows be dark;

at the time when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows are darkened;

4 and they shall shut the doors in the marketplace, because of the weakness of the voice of her that grinds [at the mill]; and he shall rise up at the voice of the sparrow, and all the daughters of song shall be brought low;

when the doors are shut in the streets, while the sound of the mill is low; when they rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music are brought low;

5 and they shall look up, and fears [shall be] in the way, and the almond tree shall blossom, and the locust shall increase, and the caper shall be scattered: because man has gone to his eternal home, and the mourners have gone about the market:

when also they are afraid of that which is high, and terrors are in the way, and the almond is despised, and the locust is a burden, and the caper-berry is powerless; since man goeth to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets; —

6 before the silver cord be [let go], or the choice gold be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel run down to the cistern;

before the silver cord be snapped asunder, and the golden bowl be crushed, or the bucket broken at the fountain, or the wheel shattered at the well,

7 [before] the dust also return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return to God who gave it.

and the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return to God who gave it.

8 Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher; all is vanity.

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; all is vanity!

9 And because the Preacher was wise above [others, so it was] that he taught man excellent knowledge, and the ear will trace out the parables.

Moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he considered, and sought out, and set in order, many proverbs.

10 The Preacher sought diligently to find out acceptable words, and a correct writing, [even] words of truth.

The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and to write correctly words of truth.

11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails firmly fastened, which have been given from one shepherd by agreement.

The words of the wise are as goads; yea, as nails driven in are the words of members of assemblies, given by one shepherd.

12 And moreover, my son, guard yourself by means of them: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

And, moreover, by these, my son, be warned! To the multiplying of books there is no end, and much study wearieth the flesh.

13 Hear the end of the matter, the sun: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole man.

Let us hear the end of the whole discourse! Fear God and keep his commandments! For this is the duty of every man.

14 For God will bring every work into judgment, with everything that has been overlooked, whether [it be] good, or whether [it be] evil.

For God will bring every work into the judgment which there is upon every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.