Ecclesiastes 12

1 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';

And remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the days of evil come, and the years overtake [thee] in which thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.

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

While the sun and light are not darkened, nor the moon and the stars; nor the clouds return after the rain:

3 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,

in the day wherein the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the mighty men shall become bent, and the grinding [women] cease because they have become few, and the [women] looking out at the windows be dark;

4 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;

and they shall shut the doors in the market-place, because of the weakness of the voice of her that grinds [at the mill]; and he shall rise up at the voice of the sparrow, and all the daughters of song shall be brought low;

5 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;

and they shall look up, and fears [shall be] in the way, and the almond tree shall blossom, and the locust shall increase, and the caper shall be scattered: because man has gone to his eternal home, and the mourners have gone about the market:

6 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;

before the silver cord be [let go], or the choice gold be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel run down to the cistern;

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

[before] the dust also return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return to God who gave it.

8 Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth; all is vanity.

Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher; all is vanity.

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

And because the Preacher was wise above [others, so it was] that he taught man excellent knowledge, and the ear will trace out the parables.

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

The Preacher sought diligently to find out acceptable words, and a correct writing, [even] words of truth.

11 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.

The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails firmly fastened, which have been given from one shepherd by agreement.

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

And moreover, my son, guard thyself by means of them: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

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

Hear the end of the matter, the sun: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole man.

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

For God will bring every work into judgment, with everything that has been overlooked, whether [it be] good, or whether [it be] evil.