Ecclesiastes 12

1 Also call to mind your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of difficulty come, and before the years arrive when you say, “I have no pleasure in them,”

Yet remember thy Creator, in the days of thy vigour, —or ever come in, the days of discomfort, and the years arrive, in which thou shalt say—I have, in them, no pleasure;

2 do this before the light of the sun and the moon and the stars grows dark, and dark clouds return after the rain.

Or ever be darkened—the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, —and the clouds return after a downpour of rain;

3 That will be the time when the palace guards will tremble, and strong men are bent over, and the women who grind cease because they are few, and those who look out of windows no longer see clearly.

In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the men of might bow themselves, —and the grinders cease because they are few, and they who look through the windows are darkened;

4 That will be the time when the doors are shut in the street, and the sound of grinding stops, when men are startled at the voice of a bird, and the singing of girls' voices fades away.

And the doors in the street be closed, when the sound of the mill become low, —and one rise at the chirp of a small bird, and low-voiced be all the daughters of song;

5 That will be the time when men become afraid of heights and of dangers along on the road, and when the almond tree blossoms, and when grasshoppers drag themselves along, and when natural desires fail. Then man goes to his eternal home and the mourners go down the streets.

Yea, at what is high, they be in fear, and there be, terrors, in the way, and the almond be rejected, and the grasshopper drag itself along, and desire perish, —for man is going to his age-abiding home, when the wailers shall go round in the streets;

6 Call to mind your Creator before the silver cord is cut, or the golden bowl is crushed, or the pitcher is shattered at the spring, or the water wheel is broken at the well,

Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, —or the bucket by the fountain be shivered, or the wheel at the well be broken;

7 before the dust returns to the earth where it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

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

8 “A mist of vapor,” says the Teacher, “everything is vanishing vapor.”

Vanity of vanities, saith the Proclaimer, all, is vanity.

9 The Teacher was wise and he taught the people knowledge. He studied and contemplated and set in order many proverbs.

Besides that, the Proclaimer being wise, —still further taught knowledge unto the people, and weighed and searched, arranged proverbs in abundance.

10 The Teacher sought to write using vivid, upright words of truth.

The Proclaimer sought to find out words giving delight, and to note down rightly, the words of truth.

11 The words of wise people are like goads. Like nails driven deeply are the words of the masters in collections of their proverbs, which are taught by one shepherd.

The words of the wise, are as goads, yea, as driven nails, their well-ordered sayings, —given from one shepherd.

12 My son, be aware of something more: the making of many books, which has no end and much study brings weariness to the body.

And besides, from them, my son, be admonished, —Of making many books, there is no end, and, much study, is a weariness of the flesh.

13 The end of the matter after everything has been heard, is that you must fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of mankind.

The conclusion of the matter—the whole, let us hear, —Towards God, be reverent, and, his commandments, observe, for, this, [concerneth] all mankind.

14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.

For, every work, will God bring into judgment, with every hidden thing, —whether good, or evil.