Ecclesiastes 12
1 While you are still young, keep thinking about [God], who created you. Do that before [you are old] and you experience many troubles, during the years when you say “I no [longer] enjoy being alive.”
Recuerda también a tu Creador en los días de tu juventud, antes de que lleguen los días malos y se acerquen los años, cuando dirás: “No tengo ningún placer en ellos;”
2 [When you become old], the light from the sun and moon and stars will [seem] dim [to you], and [it will seem that the rain] clouds [always] return [quickly] after it rains.
Antes de que se oscurezcan el sol, la luz, la luna y las estrellas, y las nubes vuelven después de la lluvia;
3 Then your [arms that you use to protect] [MET] your bodies will shake/tremble, and your [legs that support] [MET] your bodies will become weak. Many of your [teeth that you use to] grind/chew [your food] will fall out, and your [eyes that you use to] look out of windows will not see clearly.
en el día en que los guardianes de la casa temblarán, y los hombres fuertes se inclinarán, y los trituradores cesan porque son pocos, y los que miran por las ventanas se oscurecen,
4 Your [ears] [MET] will not hear the noise in the streets, and you will not be able to hear clearly the sound of people grinding grain with millstones. You will be awakened in the morning by hearing the birds singing/chirping, [but] you will not be able to hear well the songs that (the birds/people) sing.
y las puertas estarán cerradas en la calle; cuando el sonido de la molienda es bajo, y uno se levantará a la voz de un pájaro, y todas las hijas de la música serán abatidas;
5 You will be afraid to be in high places and afraid of dangers on the roads that you walk on. [Your hair] will become [white like] [MET] the flowers of almond trees. [When you try to walk], you will drag yourself along like [MET] grasshoppers, and you will no longer desire [to have sex]. Then you will [die and] go to your eternal home, and people who will mourn for you will be in the streets.
sí, tendrán miedo a las alturas, y los terrores estarán en el camino; y el almendro florecerá, y el saltamontes será una carga, y el deseo fallará; porque el hombre va a su hogar eterno, y los dolientes van por las calles;
6 [Think much about God now, because] soon our lives will end, [like] [MET] silver chains or golden bowls that break easily, or like pitchers/jugs that are broken at the water fountain, or like broken pulleys at a well.
antes de que se corte el cordón de plata, o el cuenco de oro está roto, o el lanzador está roto en el muelle, o la rueda rota en la cisterna,
7 Then our corpses will [decay and] become dirt again, and our spirits will return to God, the one who gave us our spirits.
y el polvo vuelve a la tierra tal como era, y el espíritu vuelve a Dios que lo dio.
8 [So] I say [again] that it is difficult to understand why everything happens; everything is mysterious.
“Vanidad de vanidades”, dice el Predicador. “¡Todo es vanidad!”
9 I was considered to be a very wise man, and I taught the people many things. I assembled/collected and wrote down many proverbs, and I carefully thought about and studied them.
Además, como el Predicador era sabio, seguía enseñando al pueblo el conocimiento. Sí, reflexionaba, buscaba y ponía en orden muchos proverbios.
10 I searched for the right words, and what I have written is reliable and true.
El Predicador procuraba encontrar palabras aceptables, y lo que estaba escrito irreprochablemente, palabras de verdad.
11 The things that [I and other] wise people say [teach people what they should do]; they are like [SIM] (goads/sharp sticks that people use to strike animals to direct where they should go). They are like [SIM] nails that stick out of pieces of wood. They are given to us by [God, who is like] [MET] our shepherd.
Las palabras de los sabios son como aguijones; y como clavos bien sujetos son las palabras de los maestros de las asambleas, que son dadas por un solo pastor.
12 [So], my son, pay careful attention to what I have written, and choose carefully what you read that others have written, [because] writing proverbs/books is endless, and [trying to] study them all will cause you to become exhausted.
Además, hijo mío, sé amonestado: de hacer muchos libros no hay fin; y el mucho estudio es un cansancio de la carne.
13 [Now] you have heard all [that I have told you], and here is the conclusion: Revere God, and obey his commandments, because those commandments summarize everything that people should do.
Este es el final del asunto. Todo ha sido escuchado. Temed a Dios y guardad sus mandamientos, porque éste es el deber completo del hombre.
14 And do not forget that God will judge everything that we do, good things and bad things, [even] things that we do secretly.
Porque Dios llevará a juicio toda obra, con toda cosa oculta, sea buena o sea mala.
