Ecclesiastes 12

1 Remember nowe thy Creator in the daies of thy youth, whiles the euill daies come not, nor the yeeres approche, wherein thou shalt say, I haue no pleasure in them:

Remember then 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 Whiles the sunne is not darke, nor ye light, nor the moone, nor the starres, nor the cloudes returne after the raine:

Before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain;

3 When the keepers of ye house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow them selues, and the grinders shall cease, because they are few, and they waxe darke that looke out by ye windowes:

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 shall be darkened in the windows,

4 And the doores shall be shut without by the base sound of the grinding, and he shall rise vp at the voice of the birde: and all the daughters of singing shall be abased.

And the doors shall be shut in the street, when the sound of the grinding is low; and one shall start up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;

5 Also they shalbe afraide of the hie thing, and feare shalbe in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grassehopper shall be a burden, and concupiscence shall be driuen away: for man goeth to the house of his age, and the mourners goe about in the streete.

Also when 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 drag itself along, and the caperberry shall fail; because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets;

6 Whiles the siluer coarde is not lengthened, nor the golden ewer broken, nor the pitcher broken at the well, nor the wheele broken at the cisterne:

Before the silver cord is snapped asunder, and the golden bowl is shattered, and the pitcher is broken at the fountain, and the wheel falleth shattered, into the pit;

7 And dust returne to the earth as it was, and the spirit returne to God that gaue it.

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

8 Vanitie of vanities, saieth the Preacher, all is vanitie.

Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth; all is vanity.

9 And the more wise the Preacher was, the more he taught the people knowledge, and caused them to heare, and searched foorth, and prepared many parables.

And besides that Koheleth was wise, he also taught the people knowledge; yea, he pondered, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

10 The Preacher sought to finde out pleasant wordes, and an vpright writing, euen the wordes of trueth.

Koheleth sought to find out words of delight, and that which was written uprightly, even words of truth.

11 The wordes of the wise are like goads, and like nailes fastened by the masters of the assemblies, which are giuen by one pastour.

The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails well fastened are those that are composed in collections; they are given from one shepherd.

12 And of other things beside these, my sone, take thou heede: for there is none ende in making many bookes, and much reading is a wearines of the flesh.

And furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

13 Let vs heare the end of all: feare God and keepe his commandements: for this is the whole duetie of man.

The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole man.

14 For God will bring euery worke vnto iudgement, with euery secret thing, whether it be good or euill.

For God shall bring every work into the judgment concerning every hidden thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.