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;

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 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;

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

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 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;

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 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;

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 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;

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 When the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return 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 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.

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 acceptable words, and that which would be written down uprightly, even words of truth.

The Teacher sought to write using vivid, upright 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 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 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.

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 is, let us hear the whole: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole [duty of] 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 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 deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.