Ecclesiastes 12

Remember Your Creator in Your Youth

¹ Remember _a now your Creator in the days of your youth,
Before the ₁ difficult days come,
And the years draw near _b when you say,
"I have no pleasure in them": ² While the sun and the light,
The moon and the stars,
Are not darkened,
And the clouds do not return after the rain; ³ In the day when the keepers of the house tremble,
And the strong men bow down;
When the grinders cease because they are few,
And those that look through the windows grow dim; ⁴ When the doors are shut in the streets,
And the sound of grinding is low;
When one rises up at the sound of a bird,
And all _c the daughters of music are brought low. ⁵ Also they are afraid of height,
And of terrors in the way;
When the almond tree blossoms,
The grasshopper is a burden,
And desire fails.
For man goes to _d his eternal home,
And _e the mourners go about the streets. ⁶ Remember your Creator before the silver cord is ₂ loosed,
Or the golden bowl is broken,
Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain,
Or the wheel broken at the well. ⁷ _f Then the dust will return to the earth as it was,
_g And the spirit will return to God _h who gave it. ⁸ "Vanity _i of vanities," says the Preacher,
"All is vanity."

Fear God and Keep His Commandments

⁹ And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes, he pondered and sought out and _j set ₃ in order many proverbs. ¹⁰ The Preacher sought to find ₄ acceptable words; and what was written was upright - words of truth.

¹¹ The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of ₅ scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd. ¹² And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and _k much study is wearisome to the flesh.

¹³ Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
_l Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man's all. ¹⁴ For _m God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.