Ecclesiastes 12
1 Remember also your Creator in days of your youth, While that the evil days do not come, Nor the years have arrived, that you say, “I have no pleasure in them.”
Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of adversity come and the years approach of which you will say, “I find no pleasure in them,”
2 While that the sun is not darkened, and the light, And the moon, and the stars, And the thick clouds returned after the rain.
before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is darkened, and the clouds return after the rain,
3 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,
on the day the keepers of the house tremble and the strong men stoop, when those grinding cease because they are few and those watching through windows see dimly,
4 And doors have been shut in the street. When the noise of the grinding is low, And [one] rises at the voice of the bird, And all daughters of song are bowed down.
when the doors to the street are shut and the sound of the mill fades away, when one rises at the sound of a bird and all the daughters of song grow faint,
5 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 has become a burden, And want is increased, For man is going to his perpetual home, And the mourners have gone around through the street.
when men fear the heights and dangers of the road, when the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper loses its spring, and the caper berry shrivels— for then man goes to his eternal home and mourners walk the streets.
6 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.
Remember Him before the silver cord is snapped and the golden bowl is crushed, before the pitcher is shattered at the spring and the wheel is broken at the well,
7 And the dust returns to the earth as it was, And the spirit returns to God who gave it.
before the dust returns to the ground from which it came and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
8 Vanity of vanities, said the preacher, the whole [is] vanity.
“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher. “Everything is futile!”
9 And further, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge, and gave ear, and sought out—he made right many allegories.
Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also taught the people knowledge; he pondered, searched out, and arranged many proverbs.
10 The preacher sought to find out pleasing words, and [that] written [by] the upright—words of truth.
The Teacher searched to find delightful sayings and to record accurate words of truth.
11 Words of the wise [are] as the goads, and as nails planted [by] the masters of collections, they have been given by one Shepherd.
The words of the wise are like goads, and the anthologies of the masters are like firmly embedded nails driven by a single Shepherd.
12 And further, from these, my son, be warned; the making of many scrolls has no end, and much study [is] a weariness of the flesh.
And by these, my son, be further warned: There is no end to the making of many books, and much study wearies the body.
13 The end of the whole matter let us hear: “Fear God, and keep His commands, for this [is] the whole of man.
When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man.
14 For every work God brings into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether good or bad.”
For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.
