Ecclesiastes 12

1-2 
Honor and enjoy your Creator while you're still young, Before the years take their toll and your vigor wanes, Before your vision dims and the world blurs And the winter years keep you close to the fire.
3-5 In old age, your body no longer serves you so well. Muscles slacken, grip weakens, joints stiffen. The shades are pulled down on the world. You can't come and go at will. Things grind to a halt. The hum of the household fades away. You are wakened now by bird-song. Hikes to the mountains are a thing of the past. Even a stroll down the road has its terrors. Your hair turns apple-blossom white, Adorning a fragile and impotent matchstick body. Yes, you're well on your way to eternal rest, While your friends make plans for your funeral.
6-7 Life, lovely while it lasts, is soon over. Life as we know it, precious and beautiful, ends. The body is put back in the same ground it came from. The spirit returns to God, who first breathed it.
8 It's all smoke, nothing but smoke. The Quester says that everything's smoke.

The Final Word

9-10 Besides being wise himself, the Quester also taught others knowledge. He weighed, examined, and arranged many proverbs. The Quester did his best to find the right words and write the plain truth.
11 The words of the wise prod us to live well. They're like nails hammered home, holding life together. They are given by God, the one Shepherd.

12-13  But regarding anything beyond this, dear friend, go easy. There's no end to the publishing of books, and constant study wears you out so you're no good for anything else. The last and final word is this: Fear God. Do what he tells you.

14  And that's it. Eventually God will bring everything that we do out into the open and judge it according to its hidden intent, whether it's good or evil.

Ecclesiastes 12

1 Remember also thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;2 before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, are darkened, 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,4 and the doors shall be shut in the street; when the sound of the grinding is low, and one shall rise up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;5 yea, they shall be afraid of that which is high, and terrors shall be in the way; and the almond-tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail; because man goeth to his everlasting home, and the mourners go about the streets:6 before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern,7 and the dust returneth to the earth as it was, and the spirit returneth unto God who gave it.8 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; all is vanity.9 And further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he pondered, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.10 The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written uprightly, even words of truth.11 The words of the wise are as goads; and as nails well fastened are the words of the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.12 And furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.13 This is the end of the matter; all hath been heard: fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.14 For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.