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 also your Creator in days of your youth, While that the evil days do not come, Nor the years have arrived, that you 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:

While that the sun is not darkened, and the light, And the moon, and the stars, And the thick clouds returned 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 that keepers of the house tremble, And men of strength have bowed themselves, And grinders have ceased, because they have become few. And those looking out at the windows have become dim,

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 doors have been shut in the street. When the noise of the grinding is low, And [one] rises at the voice of the bird, And all daughters of song are bowed down.

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 of that which is high they are afraid, And of the low places in the way, And the almond-tree is despised, And the grasshopper has become a burden, And want is increased, For man is going to his perpetual home, And the mourners have gone around through the street.

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:

While that the silver cord is not removed, And the golden bowl broken, And the pitcher broken by the fountain, And the wheel broken at the well.

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

And the dust returns to the earth as it was, And the spirit returns to God who gave it.

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

Vanity of vanities, said the preacher, the whole [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 further, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge, and gave ear, and sought out—he made right many allegories.

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

The preacher sought to find out pleasing words, and [that] written [by] the upright—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.

Words of the wise [are] as the goads, and as nails planted [by] the masters of collections, they have been given by 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 further, from these, my son, be warned; the making of many scrolls has 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 whole matter let us hear: “Fear God, and keep His commands, for this [is] the whole of man.

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

For every work God brings into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether good or bad.”