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,”
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 do this before the light of the sun and the moon and the stars grows dark, and dark 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 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 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 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 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 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.
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 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,
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 before the dust returns to the earth where it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
And the dust returns to the earth as it was, And the spirit returns to God who gave it.
8 “A mist of vapor,” says the Teacher, “everything is vanishing vapor.”
Vanity of vanities, said the preacher, the whole [is] vanity.
9 The Teacher was wise and he taught the people knowledge. He studied and contemplated 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 Teacher sought to write using vivid, upright words of truth.
The preacher sought to find out pleasing words, and [that] written [by] the 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.
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 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 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 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.
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 will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
For every work God brings into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether good or bad.”
