Ecclesiastes 12

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

But remember also thy Creator in the days of thy youthful vigor, while the evil days are not yet come, nor those years draw nigh of which thou wilt say, I have no pleasure in them;

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

While the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, are not yet darkened, and the clouds return not again after the rain;

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

On the day when the watchmen of the house will tremble and the men of might will bend themselves, and the grinders stand idle, because they are become few, and those be darkened that look through the windows;

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

And when the two doors on the streets will be locked, while the sound of the mill becometh dull, and man riseth up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low;

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 when men will be afraid of every elevation, and are terrified on every way, and the almond-tree will refuse [its blossom], and the locust will drag itself slowly along, and the desire will gainsay compliance; because man goeth to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets;

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

While the silver cord is not yet torn loose, and the golden bowl is not crushed, and the pitcher is not broken at the fountain, and the wheel is not crushed at the cistern;

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

When the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return unto God who gave it.—

8 Vanitas vanitatum, dixit Ecclesiastes, et omnia vanitas.

Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth: all is vanity.—

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

And in addition to this that Koheleth was wise, he continually also taught the people knowledge, and he probed, and searched out, and composed many proverbs.

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

Koheleth sought to find out acceptable words, and that which would be written down uprightly, even words of truth.

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

The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails fastened [are the words of] the men of the assemblies, which are given by one shepherd.

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

But more than all these, my son, take warning for thyself: the making of many books would have no end; and much preaching is a weariness of the flesh.

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

The end of the matter is, let us hear the whole: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole [duty of] man.

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

For every deed will God bring into the judgment concerning every thing that hath been hidden, whether it be good, or whether it be bad.