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, also, thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, of which 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.

before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars become dark, 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,

at the time when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows are 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.

when the doors are shut in the streets, while the sound of the mill is low; when they rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music are 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.

when also they are afraid of that which is high, and terrors are in the way, and the almond is despised, and the locust is a burden, and the caper-berry is powerless; since man goeth to his eternal 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.

before the silver cord be snapped asunder, and the golden bowl be crushed, or the bucket broken at the fountain, or the wheel shattered at the well,

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

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

Moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he considered, 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 to write correctly 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; yea, as nails driven in are the words of members of assemblies, given by 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, moreover, by these, my son, be warned! To the multiplying of books there is no end, and much study wearieth 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 end of the whole discourse! Fear God and keep his commandments! For this is the duty of every man.

14 For every work God brings into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether good or bad.”

For God will bring every work into the judgment which there is upon every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.