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 now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have 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.

While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor 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,

In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,

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.

And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;

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.

Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about 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.

Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.

7 And the dust returns to the earth as it was, And the spirit returns to God who gave it.

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

8 Vanity of vanities, said the preacher, the whole [is] vanity.

Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.

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.

And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

10 The preacher sought to find out pleasing words, and [that] written [by] the upright—words of truth.

The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even 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 as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one 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 further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

13 The end of the whole matter let us hear: “Fear God, and keep His commands, for this [is] the whole of man.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for 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 shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.