Ecclesiastes 12

1 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw near, when you will say, "I have no pleasure in them;"

Yet remember thy Creator, in the days of thy vigour, —or ever come in, the days of discomfort, and the years arrive, in which thou shalt say—I have, in them, no pleasure;

2 Before the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain;

Or ever be darkened—the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, —and the clouds return after a downpour of rain;

3 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 who look out of the windows are darkened,

In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the men of might bow themselves, —and the grinders cease because they are few, and they who look through the windows are darkened;

4 and the doors shall be shut in the street; when the sound of the grinding is low, and one shall rise up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;

And the doors in the street be closed, when the sound of the mill become low, —and one rise at the chirp of a small bird, and low-voiced be all the daughters of song;

5 Also, they are afraid of heights, and of terrors in the way; and the almond tree blossoms, and the grasshopper is burdened, and the caper bush fails; because man goes to his everlasting home, and the mourners go about the streets:

Yea, at what is high, they be in fear, and there be, terrors, in the way, and the almond be rejected, and the grasshopper drag itself along, and desire perish, —for man is going to his age-abiding home, when the wailers shall go round in the streets;

6 before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the spring, or the wheel broken at the cistern,

Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, —or the bucket by the fountain be shivered, or the wheel at the well be broken;

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 unto God, who gave it.

8 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher. All is vanity.

Vanity of vanities, saith the Proclaimer, all, is vanity.

9 Further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge. Yes, he pondered, sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

Besides that, the Proclaimer being wise, —still further taught knowledge unto the people, and weighed and searched, arranged proverbs in abundance.

10 The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written blamelessly, words of truth.

The Proclaimer sought to find out words giving delight, and to note down rightly, the words of truth.

11 The words of the wise are like goads; and like nails well fastened are words from the masters of collections, which are given from one shepherd.

The words of the wise, are as goads, yea, as driven nails, their well-ordered sayings, —given from one shepherd.

12 Furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

And besides, from them, my son, be admonished, —Of making many books, there is no end, and, much study, is a weariness of the flesh.

13 This is the end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.

The conclusion of the matter—the whole, let us hear, —Towards God, be reverent, and, his commandments, observe, for, this, [concerneth] all mankind.

14 For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it is good, or whether it is evil.

For, every work, will God bring into judgment, with every hidden thing, —whether good, or evil.