Ecclesiastes 12
1 Remember also thy Creators in days of thy youth, While that the evil days come not, Nor the years have arrived, that thou sayest, 'I have no pleasure in them.'
Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the time of affliction come, and the years draw nigh of which thou shalt say: They please me not:
2 While that the sun is not darkened, and the light, And the moon, and the stars, And the thick clouds returned 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 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,
When the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall stagger, and the grinders shall be idle in a small number, and they that look through the holes shall be darkened:
4 And doors have been shut in the street. When the noise of the grinding is low, And [one] riseth at the voice of the bird, And all daughters of song are bowed down.
And they shall shut the doors in the street, when the grinder’s voice shall be low, and they shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall grow deaf.
5 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 is become a burden, And want is increased, For man is going unto his home age-during, And the mourners have gone round through the street.
And they shall fear high things, and they shall be afraid in the way, the almond tree shall flourish, the locust shall be made fat, and the caper tree shall be destroyed: because man shall go into the house of his eternity, and the mourners shall go round about in the street.
6 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.
Before the silver cord be broken, and the golden fillet shrink back, and the pitcher be crushed at the fountain, and the wheel be broken upon the cistern,
7 And the dust returneth to the earth as it was, And the spirit returneth to God who gave it.
And the dust return into its earth, from whence it was, and the spirit return to God, who gave it.
8 Vanity of vanities, said the preacher, the whole [is] vanity.
Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, and all things are vanity.
9 And further, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge, and gave ear, and sought out — he made right many similes.
And whereas Ecclesiastes was very wise, he taught the people, and declared the things that he had done: and seeking out, he set forth many parables.
10 The preacher sought to find out pleasing words, and, written [by] the upright, words of truth.
He sought profitable words, and wrote words most right, and full of truth.
11 Words of the wise [are] as goads, and as fences planted [by] the masters of collections, they have been given by one shepherd.
The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails deeply fastened in, which by the counsel of masters are given from one shepherd.
12 And further, from these, my son, be warned; the making of many books hath no end, and much study [is] a weariness of the flesh.
More than these, my son, require not. Of making many books there is no end: and much study is an affliction of the flesh.
13 The end of the whole matter let us hear: — 'Fear God, and keep His commands, for this [is] the whole of man.
Let us all hear together the conclusion of the discourse. Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is all man:
14 For every work doth God bring into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether good or bad.'
And all things that are done, God will bring into judgment for every error, whether it be good or evil.
