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 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.”

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

While that the sun is not darkened, and the light, And the moon, and the stars, And the thick clouds returned 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,

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,

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 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.

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:

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.

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;

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.

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

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

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

Vanity of vanities, said the preacher, the whole [is] 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 further, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge, and gave ear, and sought out—he made right many allegories.

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

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

Words of the wise [are] as the goads, and as nails planted [by] the masters of collections, they have been given by 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.

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.

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.

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

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

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