Ecclesiastes 12

Modern

Literal

Remember Your Creator

¹Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,

before the days of adversity come

and the years approach of which you will say,

“I find no pleasure in them,”

¹And remember your Creator in the days of your youth, while the days of evil have not come, and the years have drawn near when you say, “No delight for me is in them!”

²before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is darkened,

and the clouds return after the rain,

²While that the sun is not darkened, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, and the clouds return after the rain,

³on the day the keepers of the house tremble

and the strong men stoop,

when those grinding cease because they are few

and those watching through windows see dimly,

³in the day the guards of the house tremble, and the men of strength bow down, and those gridning cease because they are few, and those looking out through the windows grow dim,

⁴when the doors to the street are shut

and the sound of the mill fades away,

when one rises at the sound of a bird

and all the daughters of song grow faint,

⁴and the doors are shut in the streets, and the sound of the grinding becomes low, and one rises up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of the song are bent low—

⁵when men fear the heights and dangers of the road,

when the almond tree blossoms,

the grasshopper loses its spring,

and the caper berry shrivels—

for then man goes to his eternal home

and mourners walk the streets.

⁵they are afraid even from height and terrors in the way; for the almond tree blossoms, and the grasshopper carries itself along and the caper berry breaks off, because man is going to his eternal home, and those mourning go around in the street—

⁶Remember Him before the silver cord is snapped

and the golden bowl is crushed,

before the pitcher is shattered at the spring

and the wheel is broken at the well,

⁶while the cord of silver is not snapped or the bowl of gold broken or the pitcher shattered at the fountain or the wheel crushed at the well,

⁷before the dust returns to the ground from which it came

and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

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

⁸“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher.

“Everything is futile!”

⁸“Vapor of vapors,” says the Qoheleth; “All is vapor!”

The Whole Duty of Man

⁹Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also taught the people knowledge; he pondered, searched out, and arranged many proverbs.

⁹And further, Qoheleth, being wise, also did he teach the people knowledge, and he pondered, and he searched, and he arranged many proverbs.

¹⁰The Teacher searched to find delightful sayings and to record accurate words of truth.^a

¹⁰Qoheleth sought to find words of delight and to record uprightly—words of truth.

¹¹The words of the wise are like goads, and the anthologies of the masters are like firmly embedded nails driven by a single Shepherd.^a

¹¹The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails implanted by the masters of collections, given by one Shepherd.

¹²And by these, my son, be further warned: There is no end to the making of many books, and much study wearies the body.

¹²And further, by these my son, be warned: To the making of many books there is no end, and much study is weariness to the flesh.

¹³When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man.

¹³The conclusion of the whole of matter has been heard. You shall fear God and keep His commandments—for this is is the whole of the man.

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

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