Ecclesiastes 12
1 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;
And remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of evil come, and the years overtake [you] in which you shall say, I have no pleasure in them.
2 Or ever be darkened—the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, —and the clouds return after a downpour of rain;
While the sun and light are not darkened, nor the moon and the stars; nor the clouds return after the rain:
3 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;
in the day wherein the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the mighty men shall become bent, and the grinding [women] cease because they have become few, and the [women] looking out at the windows be dark;
4 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;
and they shall shut the doors in the marketplace, because of the weakness of the voice of her that grinds [at the mill]; and he shall rise up at the voice of the sparrow, and all the daughters of song shall be brought low;
5 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;
and they shall look up, and fears [shall be] in the way, and the almond tree shall blossom, and the locust shall increase, and the caper shall be scattered: because man has gone to his eternal home, and the mourners have gone about the market:
6 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;
before the silver cord be [let go], or the choice gold be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel run down to the cistern;
7 And the dust return to the earth, as it was, —and, the spirit, return unto God, who gave it.
[before] the dust also return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return to God who gave it.
8 Vanity of vanities, saith the Proclaimer, all, is vanity.
Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher; all is vanity.
9 Besides that, the Proclaimer being wise, —still further taught knowledge unto the people, and weighed and searched, arranged proverbs in abundance.
And because the Preacher was wise above [others, so it was] that he taught man excellent knowledge, and the ear will trace out the parables.
10 The Proclaimer sought to find out words giving delight, and to note down rightly, the words of truth.
The Preacher sought diligently to find out acceptable words, and a correct writing, [even] words of truth.
11 The words of the wise, are as goads, yea, as driven nails, their well-ordered sayings, —given from one shepherd.
The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails firmly fastened, which have been given from one shepherd by agreement.
12 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.
And moreover, my son, guard yourself by means of them: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
13 The conclusion of the matter—the whole, let us hear, —Towards God, be reverent, and, his commandments, observe, for, this, [concerneth] all mankind.
Hear the end of the matter, the sun: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole man.
14 For, every work, will God bring into judgment, with every hidden thing, —whether good, or evil.
For God will bring every work into judgment, with everything that has been overlooked, whether [it be] good, or whether [it be] evil.
