Ecclesiastes 12

1 But remember also thy Creator in the days of thy youthful vigor, while the evil days are not yet come, nor those years draw nigh of which thou wilt say, I have no pleasure in them;

And remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the days of evil come, and the years overtake [thee] in which thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.

2 While the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, are not yet darkened, and the clouds return not again after the rain;

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

3 On the day when the watchmen of the house will tremble and the men of might will bend themselves, and the grinders stand idle, because they are become few, and those be darkened that look through the windows;

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;

4 And when the two doors on the streets will be locked, while the sound of the mill becometh dull, and man riseth up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low;

and they shall shut the doors in the market-place, 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;

5 Also when men will be afraid of every elevation, and are terrified on every way, and the almond-tree will refuse [its blossom], and the locust will drag itself slowly along, and the desire will gainsay compliance; because man goeth to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets;

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:

6 While the silver cord is not yet torn loose, and the golden bowl is not crushed, and the pitcher is not broken at the fountain, and the wheel is not crushed at the cistern;

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;

7 When the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return unto God who gave it.—

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

8 Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth: all is vanity.—

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

9 And in addition to this that Koheleth was wise, he continually also taught the people knowledge, and he probed, and searched out, and composed many proverbs.

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.

10 Koheleth sought to find out acceptable words, and that which would be written down uprightly, even words of truth.

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

11 The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails fastened [are the words of] the men of the assemblies, which are given by one shepherd.

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

12 But more than all these, my son, take warning for thyself: the making of many books would have no end; and much preaching is a weariness of the flesh.

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

13 The end of the matter is, let us hear the whole: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole [duty of] man.

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

14 For every deed will God bring into the judgment concerning every thing that hath been hidden, whether it be good, or whether it be bad.

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