Ecclesiastes 12

1 Also call to mind your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of difficulty come, and before the years arrive when you say, “I have no pleasure in them,”

And remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, of which thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

2 do this before the light of the sun and the moon and the stars grows dark, and dark 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 That will be the time when the palace guards will tremble, and strong men are bent over, and the women who grind cease because they are few, and those who look out of windows no longer see clearly.

in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows are darkened,

4 That will be the time when the doors are shut in the street, and the sound of grinding stops, when men are startled at the voice of a bird, and the singing of girls' voices fades away.

and the doors are shut toward the street; when the sound of the grinding is subdued, and they rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low;

5 That will be the time when men become afraid of heights and of dangers along on the road, and when the almond tree blossoms, and when grasshoppers drag themselves along, and when natural desires fail. Then man goes to his eternal home and the mourners go down the streets.

they are also afraid of what is high, and terrors are in the way, and the almond is despised, and the grasshopper is a burden, and the caper-berry is without effect; (for man goeth to his age-long home, and the mourners go about the streets; )

6 Call to mind your Creator before the silver cord is cut, or the golden bowl is crushed, or the pitcher is shattered at the spring, or the water wheel is broken at the well,

— before the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be shattered at the fountain, or the wheel be broken at the cistern;

7 before the dust returns to the earth where it came from, 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 “A mist of vapor,” says the Teacher, “everything is vanishing vapor.”

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher: all is vanity.

9 The Teacher was wise and he taught the people knowledge. He studied and contemplated and set in order many proverbs.

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

10 The Teacher sought to write using vivid, upright words of truth.

The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words; and that which was written is upright, words of truth.

11 The words of wise people are like goads. Like nails driven deeply are the words of the masters in collections of their proverbs, which are taught by one shepherd.

The words of the wise are as goads, and the collections [of them] as nails fastened in: they are given from one shepherd.

12 My son, be aware of something more: the making of many books, which has no end and much study brings weariness to the body.

And besides, my son, be warned by them: of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

13 The end of the matter after everything has been heard, is that you must fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of mankind.

Let us hear the end of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole of man.

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

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