Ecclesiastes 12
1 Remember your Creator
in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble come
and the years approach when you will say,
“I find no pleasure in them”—
2 before the sun and the light
and the moon and the stars grow dark,
and the clouds return after the rain;
3 when the keepers of the house tremble,
and the strong men stoop,
when the grinders cease because they are few,
and those looking through the windows grow dim;
4 when the doors to the street are closed
and the sound of grinding fades;
when people rise up at the sound of birds,
but all their songs grow faint;
5 when people are afraid of heights
and of dangers in the streets;
when the almond tree blossoms
and the grasshopper drags itself along
and desire no longer is stirred.
Then people go to their eternal home
and mourners go about the streets.
6 Remember him—before the silver cord is severed,
and the golden bowl is broken;
before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
and the wheel broken at the well,
7 and the dust returns to the ground it came from,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
8 “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.
“Everything is meaningless!”
9 Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs.
10 The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true.
11 The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one shepherd.
12 Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.
Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.
13 Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the duty of every human being.
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.
Ecclesiastes 12
Fear God Now Because Old Age and Death Come Quickly
1 So remembert your Creator in the days of your youth –
beforet the difficultt days come,
and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”;
2 before the sun and the lightt of the moon and the stars grow dark,
and the clouds disappeart after the rain;
3 when those who keep watch over the houset begin to tremble,t
and the virile men begin to stoop over,t
and the grinderst begin to cease because they grow few,
and those who look through the windows grow dim,t
4 and the doors along the street are shut;
when the sound of the grinding millt grows low,
and one is awakenedt by the sound of a bird,
and all theirt songst grow faint,t
5 and they are afraid of heights and the dangerst in the street;
the almond blossomst grow white,t
and the grasshoppert drags itself along,t
and the caper berryt shrivels upst –
because man goes to his eternal home,t
and the mourners go about in the streets –
6 before the silver cord is removed,
or the golden bowl is broken,
or the pitcher is shattered at the well,t
or the water wheelt is broken at the cistern –
7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was,
and the life’s breatht returns to God who gave it.
Concluding Refrain: Qoheleth Restates His Thesis
8 “Absolutely futile!”t laments the Teacher,t
“All of these thingst are futile!”ts
Concluding Epilogue: Qoheleth’s Advice is Wise
9 Not only was the Teacher wise,s
but he also taught knowledge to the people;
he carefully evaluatedt and arrangedt many proverbs.
10 The Teacher sought to find delightfult words,
and to writes accurately truthful sayings.t
11 The words of the sages are like prods,t
and the collected sayings are like firmly fixed nails;
they are given by one shepherd.
Concluding Exhortation: Fear God and Obey His Commands!
12 Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.s
There is no end to the makingt of many books,
and much study is exhausting to the body.t
13 Having heard everything, I have reached this conclusion:t
Fear God and keep his commandments,
because this is the whole dutyt of man.
14 For God will evaluate every deed,t
including every secret thing, whether good or evil.