Ecclesiastes 12

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

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

before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars become dark, and the 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,

at the time 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 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.

when the doors are shut in the streets, while the sound of the mill is low; when they rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music are brought low;

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:

when also they are afraid of that which is high, and terrors are in the way, and the almond is despised, and the locust is a burden, and the caper-berry is powerless; since man goeth to his eternal home, and the mourners go about 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.

before the silver cord be snapped asunder, and the golden bowl be crushed, or the bucket broken at the fountain, or the wheel shattered 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.

and the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return to God who gave it.

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

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; all is vanity!

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

Moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he considered, and sought out, 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 Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and to write correctly 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 the wise are as goads; yea, as nails driven in are the words of members of assemblies, given 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.

And, moreover, by these, my son, be warned! To the multiplying of books there is no end, and much study wearieth the flesh.

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

Let us hear the end of the whole discourse! Fear God and keep his commandments! For this is the duty of every man.

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

For God will bring every work into the judgment which there is upon every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.