Ecclesiastes 12

1 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;

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the time of affliction arrives and the years draw near, about which you will say, “These do not please me.”

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

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

3 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;

when the guardians of the house will tremble, and the strongest men will waver, and those who grind grain will be idle, except for a small number, and those who look through the keyholes will be darkened.

4 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;

And they will close the doors to the street, when the voice of he who grinds the grain will be humbled, and they will be disturbed at the sound of a flying thing, and all the daughters of song shall become deaf.

5 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;

Likewise, they will fear the things above them, and they will dread the way. The almond tree will flourish; the locust will be fattened; and the caper plant will be scattered, because man shall go into the house of his eternity, and the mourners shall wander around in the street.

6 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;

Before the silver cord is broken, and the golden band pulls away, and the pitcher is crushed over the fountain, and the wheel is broken above the cistern,

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

and the dust returns to its earth, from which it was, and the spirit returns to God, who granted it.

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

Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, and all is vanity!

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

And since Ecclesiastes was very wise, he taught the people, and he described what he had accomplished. And while searching, he composed many parables.

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

He sought useful words, and he wrote most righteous words, which were full of truth.

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

The words of the wise are like a goad, and like nails deeply fastened, which, through the counsel of teachers, are set forth by one pastor.

12 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.

You should require no more than this, my son. For there is no end to the making of many books. And excessive study is an affliction to the flesh.

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

Let us all listen together to the end of the discourse. Fear God, and observe his commandments. This is everything for man.

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

And so, for all that is done and for each error, God will bring judgment: whether it was good or evil.