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 also thy Creators in days of thy youth, While that the evil days come not, Nor the years have arrived, that thou sayest, '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 that the sun is not darkened, and the light, And the moon, and the stars, And the thick clouds returned 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 that keepers of the house tremble, And men of strength have bowed themselves, And grinders have ceased, because they have become few. And those looking out at the windows have become dim,
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 doors have been shut in the street. When the noise of the grinding is low, And [one] riseth at the voice of the bird, And all daughters of song are bowed down.
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;
Also of that which is high they are afraid, And of the low places in the way, And the almond-tree is despised, And the grasshopper is become a burden, And want is increased, For man is going unto his home age-during, And the mourners have gone round through 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;
While that the silver cord is not removed, And the golden bowl broken, And the pitcher broken by the fountain, And the wheel 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.—
And the dust returneth to the earth as it was, And the spirit returneth to God who gave it.
8 Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth: all is vanity.—
Vanity of vanities, said the preacher, the whole [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 further, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge, and gave ear, and sought out — he made right many similes.
10 Koheleth sought to find out acceptable words, and that which would be written down uprightly, even words of truth.
The preacher sought to find out pleasing words, and, written [by] the 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.
Words of the wise [are] as goads, and as fences planted [by] the masters of collections, they have been given 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.
And further, from these, my son, be warned; the making of many books hath 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.
The end of the whole matter let us hear: — 'Fear God, and keep His commands, for this [is] the whole of 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 every work doth God bring into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether good or bad.'
