Ecclesiastes 12

1 Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the time of affliction come, and the years draw nigh of which thou shalt say: They please me not:

Remember, also, thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, of which thou shalt say, “I have no pleasure in them;”

2 Before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars be darkened, and the clouds return after the rain:

before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars become dark, and the clouds return after the rain;

3 When the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall stagger, and the grinders shall be idle in a small number, and they that look through the holes shall be darkened:

at the time when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows are darkened;

4 And they shall shut the doors in the street, when the grinder’s voice shall be low, and they shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall grow deaf.

when the doors are shut in the streets, while the sound of the mill is low; when they rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music are brought low;

5 And they shall fear high things, and they shall be afraid in the way, the almond tree shall flourish, the locust shall be made fat, and the caper tree shall be destroyed: because man shall go into the house of his eternity, and the mourners shall go round about in the street.

when also they are afraid of that which is high, and terrors are in the way, and the almond is despised, and the locust is a burden, and the caper-berry is powerless; since man goeth to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets; —

6 Before the silver cord be broken, and the golden fillet shrink back, and the pitcher be crushed at the fountain, and the wheel be broken upon the cistern,

before the silver cord be snapped asunder, and the golden bowl be crushed, or the bucket broken at the fountain, or the wheel shattered at the well,

7 And the dust return into its earth, from whence it was, and the spirit return to God, who gave it.

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

8 Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, and all things are vanity.

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; all is vanity!

9 And whereas Ecclesiastes was very wise, he taught the people, and declared the things that he had done: and seeking out, he set forth many parables.

Moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he considered, and sought out, and set in order, many proverbs.

10 He sought profitable words, and wrote words most right, and full of truth.

The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and to write correctly words of truth.

11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails deeply fastened in, which by the counsel of masters are given from one shepherd.

The words of the wise are as goads; yea, as nails driven in are the words of members of assemblies, given by one shepherd.

12 More than these, my son, require not. Of making many books there is no end: and much study is an affliction of the flesh.

And, moreover, by these, my son, be warned! To the multiplying of books there is no end, and much study wearieth the flesh.

13 Let us all hear together the conclusion of the discourse. Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is all man:

Let us hear the end of the whole discourse! Fear God and keep his commandments! For this is the duty of every man.

14 And all things that are done, God will bring into judgment for every error, whether it be good or evil.

For God will bring every work into the judgment which there is upon every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.