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;

Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the time of affliction come, and the years draw nigh of which thou shalt say: They please me not:

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;

Before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars be darkened, and 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;

When the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall stagger, and the grinders shall be idle in a small number, and they that look through the holes shall be darkened:

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 street, when the grinder’s voice shall be low, and they shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall grow deaf.

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 fear high things, and they shall be afraid in the way, the almond tree shall flourish, the locust shall be made fat, and the caper tree shall be destroyed: because man shall go into the house of his eternity, and the mourners shall go round about in the street.

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 broken, and the golden fillet shrink back, and the pitcher be crushed at the fountain, and the wheel be broken upon the cistern,

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

And the dust return into its earth, from whence it was, and the spirit return to God, who gave it.

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

Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, and all things are 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 whereas Ecclesiastes was very wise, he taught the people, and declared the things that he had done: and seeking out, he set forth many parables.

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

He sought profitable words, and wrote words most right, and full 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 deeply fastened in, which by the counsel of masters are given from one shepherd.

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.

More than these, my son, require not. Of making many books there is no end: and much study is an affliction 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.

Let us all hear together the conclusion of the discourse. Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is all 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.

And all things that are done, God will bring into judgment for every error, whether it be good or evil.