Ecclesiastes 12

1 Remember also thy Creator in the days of thy youth, or ever the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the time of affliction come, and the years draw nigh of which thou shalt say: They please me not:

2 or ever the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, be darkened, and the clouds return after the rain:

Before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars be darkened, and the clouds return after the 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 that look out of the windows be darkened,

When the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall stagger, and the grinders shall be idle in a small number, and they that look through the holes shall be darkened:

4 and the door 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 they shall shut the doors in the street, when the grinder’s voice shall be low, and they shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall grow deaf.

5 yea, they shall be afraid of [that which is] high, and terrors [shall be] in the way; and the almond tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and the caper-berry shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:

And they shall fear high things, and they shall be afraid in the way, the almond tree shall flourish, the locust shall be made fat, and the caper tree shall be destroyed: because man shall go into the house of his eternity, and the mourners shall go round about in the street.

6 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;

Before the silver cord be broken, and the golden fillet shrink back, and the pitcher be crushed at the fountain, and the wheel be broken upon the cistern,

7 and the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return unto God who gave it.

And the dust return into its earth, from whence it was, and the spirit return to God, who gave it.

8 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; all is vanity.

Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, and all things are vanity.

9 And further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he pondered, and sought out, [and] set in order many proverbs.

And whereas Ecclesiastes was very wise, he taught the people, and declared the things that he had done: and seeking out, he set forth many parables.

10 The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written uprightly, [even] words of truth.

He sought profitable words, and wrote words most right, and full of truth.

11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails well fastened are [the words of] the masters of assemblies, [which] are given from one shepherd.

The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails deeply fastened in, which by the counsel of masters are given from one shepherd.

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

More than these, my son, require not. Of making many books there is no end: and much study is an affliction of the flesh.

13 [This is] the end of the matter; all hath been heard: fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole [duty] of man.

Let us all hear together the conclusion of the discourse. Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is all man:

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

And all things that are done, God will bring into judgment for every error, whether it be good or evil.