Ecclesiastes 12

1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw near, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

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,”

2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, are not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:

do this before the light of the sun and the moon and the stars grows dark, and dark clouds return 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 shall be darkened,

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.

4 And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding shall be low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;

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.

5 Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:

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.

6 Or ever the silver cord shall be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.

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,

7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return to God who gave it.

before the dust returns to the earth where it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

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

“A mist of vapor,” says the Teacher, “everything is vanishing vapor.”

9 And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

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

10 The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.

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

11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.

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.

12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

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

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

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.

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

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