Pengkhotbah 12
1 Ingatlah akan Penciptamu pada masa mudamu, sebelum tiba hari-hari yang malang dan mendekat tahun-tahun yang kaukatakan: "Tak ada kesenangan bagiku di dalamnya!",
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 sebelum matahari dan terang, bulan dan bintang-bintang menjadi gelap, dan awan-awan datang kembali sesudah hujan,
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 pada waktu penjaga-penjaga rumah gemetar, dan orang-orang kuat membungkuk, dan perempuan-perempuan penggiling berhenti karena berkurang jumlahnya, dan yang melihat dari jendela semuanya menjadi kabur,
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 dan pintu-pintu di tepi jalan tertutup, dan bunyi penggilingan menjadi lemah, dan suara menjadi seperti kicauan burung, dan semua penyanyi perempuan tunduk,
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 juga orang menjadi takut tinggi, dan ketakutan ada di jalan, pohon badam berbunga, belalang menyeret dirinya dengan susah payah dan nafsu makan tak dapat dibangkitkan lagi--karena manusia pergi ke rumahnya yang kekal dan peratap-peratap berkeliaran di jalan,
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 sebelum rantai perak diputuskan dan pelita emas dipecahkan, sebelum tempayan dihancurkan dekat mata air dan roda timba dirusakkan di atas sumur,
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 dan debu kembali menjadi tanah seperti semula dan roh kembali kepada Allah yang mengaruniakannya.
And the dust returns to the earth as it was, And the spirit returns to God who gave it.
8 Kesia-siaan atas kesia-siaan, kata Pengkhotbah, segala sesuatu adalah sia-sia.
Vanity of vanities, said the preacher, the whole [is] vanity.
9 Selain Pengkhotbah berhikmat, ia mengajarkan juga kepada umat itu pengetahuan. Ia menimbang, menguji dan menyusun banyak amsal.
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 Pengkhotbah berusaha mendapat kata-kata yang menyenangkan dan menulis kata-kata kebenaran secara jujur.
The preacher sought to find out pleasing words, and [that] written [by] the upright—words of truth.
11 Kata-kata orang berhikmat seperti kusa dan kumpulan-kumpulannya seperti paku-paku yang tertancap, diberikan oleh satu gembala.
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 Lagipula, anakku, waspadalah! Membuat banyak buku tak akan ada akhirnya, dan banyak belajar melelahkan badan.
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 Akhir kata dari segala yang didengar ialah: takutlah akan Allah dan berpeganglah pada perintah-perintah-Nya, karena ini adalah kewajiban setiap orang.
The end of the whole matter let us hear: “Fear God, and keep His commands, for this [is] the whole of man.
14 Karena Allah akan membawa setiap perbuatan ke pengadilan yang berlaku atas segala sesuatu yang tersembunyi, entah itu baik, entah itu jahat.
For every work God brings into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether good or bad.”
