Ecclesiastes 12

1 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw near, when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them;”

Remember your Creator while you are young, before days of trouble come and you grow old, saying, “I'm not enjoying life anymore.”

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

Before the light fades—sun, moon, and stars—and rain clouds return to darken the skies.

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 who look out of the windows are darkened,

Before the guards of the house tremble and the strong men are bent over, the grinders stop working because there are only a few left, and the ones looking through the windows only see dimly,

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

and the doors to the street are shut. Before the sound of the grinding mill grows low, and you wake up early when the birds are singing, but you can hardly hear them.

5 yes, they shall be afraid of heights, and terrors will be on the way; and the almond tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail; because man goes to his everlasting home, and the mourners go about the streets;

Before you develop a fear of heights and worry about going out on the streets; when the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper crawls along, and desire fails, for everyone has to go to their eternal home as the mourners go up and down the street.

6 before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the spring, or the wheel broken at the cistern,

Before the silver cord is snapped and the golden bowl is broken; before the water jug is smashed at the spring, or the pulley is broken at the well.

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

Then the dust returns to the earth from which it came, and the breath of life returns to God who gave it.

8 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher. “All is vanity!”

“Everything passes! It's all so hard to understand!” says the Teacher.

9 Further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge. Yes, he pondered, sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

Not only was the Teacher a wise man, he also taught what he knew to others. He thought about many proverbs, studying them and arranging them.

10 The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written blamelessly, words of truth.

The Teacher looked for the best way to explain things, writing truthfully and honestly.

11 The words of the wise are like goads; and like nails well fastened are words from the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.

The words of the wise are like cattle prods. Their collected sayings are like nails driven home, given by one shepherd.

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

In addition, my student, take care, for there's no end to book writing, and too much study wears you out.

13 This is the end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.

To sum up now that everything has been discussed: Respect God by keeping his commandments, for that's what everyone should do.

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

God is going to judge us for everything we do, including what we do secretly, whether good or bad.