Ecclesiastes 12

1 Memento Creatoris tui in diebus iuventutis tuae, antequam veniat tempus afflictionis, et appropinquent anni, de quibus dicas: Non mihi placent,

Remember nowe thy Creator in the daies of thy youth, whiles the euill daies come not, nor the yeeres approche, wherein thou shalt say, I haue no pleasure in them:

2 antequam tenebrescat sol, et lumen, et luna, et stellae, et revertantur nubes post pluviam:

Whiles the sunne is not darke, nor ye light, nor the moone, nor the starres, nor the cloudes returne after the raine:

3 quando commovebuntur custodes domus, et nutabunt viri fortissimi, et otiosae erunt molentes in minuto numero, et tenebrescent videntes per foramina:

When the keepers of ye house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow them selues, and the grinders shall cease, because they are few, and they waxe darke that looke out by ye windowes:

4 et claudent ostia in platea, in humilitate vocis molentis, et consurgent ad vocem volucris, et obsurdescent omnes filiae carminis.

And the doores shall be shut without by the base sound of the grinding, and he shall rise vp at the voice of the birde: and all the daughters of singing shall be abased.

5 Excelsa quoque timebunt, et formidabunt in via, florebit amygdalus, impinguabitur locusta, et dissipabitur capparis: quoniam ibit homo in domum aeternitatis suae, et circuibunt in platea plangentes.

Also they shalbe afraide of the hie thing, and feare shalbe in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grassehopper shall be a burden, and concupiscence shall be driuen away: for man goeth to the house of his age, and the mourners goe about in the streete.

6 Antequam rumpatur funiculus argenteus, et recurrat vitta aurea, et conteratur hydria super fontem, et confringatur rota super cisternam,

Whiles the siluer coarde is not lengthened, nor the golden ewer broken, nor the pitcher broken at the well, nor the wheele broken at the cisterne:

7 et revertatur pulvis in terram suam unde erat, et spiritus redeat ad Deum, qui dedit illum.

And dust returne to the earth as it was, and the spirit returne to God that gaue it.

8 Vanitas vanitatum, dixit Ecclesiastes, et omnia vanitas.

Vanitie of vanities, saieth the Preacher, all is vanitie.

9 Cumque esset sapientissimus Ecclesiastes, docuit populum, et enarravit quae fecerat: et investigans composuit parabolas multas.

And the more wise the Preacher was, the more he taught the people knowledge, and caused them to heare, and searched foorth, and prepared many parables.

10 Quaesivit verba utilia, et conscripsit sermones rectissimos, ac veritate plenos.

The Preacher sought to finde out pleasant wordes, and an vpright writing, euen the wordes of trueth.

11 Verba sapientium sicut stimuli, et quasi clavi in altum defixi, quae per magistrorum consilium data sunt a pastore uno.

The wordes of the wise are like goads, and like nailes fastened by the masters of the assemblies, which are giuen by one pastour.

12 His amplius fili mi ne requiras. Faciendi plures libros nullus est finis: frequensque meditatio, carnis afflictio est.

And of other things beside these, my sone, take thou heede: for there is none ende in making many bookes, and much reading is a wearines of the flesh.

13 Finem loquendi pariter omnes audiamus. Deum time, et mandata eius observa: hoc est enim omnis homo:

Let vs heare the end of all: feare God and keepe his commandements: for this is the whole duetie of man.

14 et cuncta, quae fiunt, adducet Deus in iudicium pro omni errato, sive bonum, sive malum illud sit.

For God will bring euery worke vnto iudgement, with euery secret thing, whether it be good or euill.