⁹ You who are young, be happy while you are young,
    and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth.
Follow the ways of your heart
    and whatever your eyes see,
but know that for all these things
    God will bring you into judgment.^(A)
10 So then, banish anxiety^(B) from your heart
    and cast off the troubles of your body,
    for youth and vigor are meaningless.^(C)

12 Remember^(D) your Creator
    in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble^(E) come
    and the years approach when you will say,
    “I find no pleasure in them”—
² before the sun and the light
    and the moon and the stars grow dark,
    and the clouds return after the rain;
³ when the keepers of the house tremble,
    and the strong men stoop,
when the grinders cease because they are few,
    and those looking through the windows grow dim;
⁴ when the doors to the street are closed
    and the sound of grinding fades;
when people rise up at the sound of birds,
    but all their songs grow faint;^(F)
5 when people are afraid of heights
    and of dangers in the streets;
when the almond tree blossoms
    and the grasshopper drags itself along
    and desire no longer is stirred.
Then people go to their eternal home^(G)
    and mourners^(H) go about the streets.

⁶ Remember him—before the silver cord is severed,
    and the golden bowl is broken;
before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
    and the wheel broken at the well,
⁷ and the dust returns^(I) to the ground it came from,
    and the spirit returns to God^(J) who gave it.^(K)

⁸ “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.^[a](L)
    “Everything is meaningless!^(M)”

⁴ Keep me safe,^(G) Lord, from the hands of the wicked;^(H)
    protect me from the violent,
    who devise ways to trip my feet.
⁵ The arrogant have hidden a snare^(I) for me;
    they have spread out the cords of their net^(J)
    and have set traps^(K) for me along my path.

⁶ I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”^(L)
    Hear, Lord, my cry for mercy.^(M)
7 Sovereign Lord,^(N) my strong deliverer,
    you shield my head in the day of battle.
⁸ Do not grant the wicked^(O) their desires, Lord;
    do not let their plans succeed.

⁹ Those who surround me proudly rear their heads;
    may the mischief of their lips engulf them.^(P)
10 May burning coals fall on them;
    may they be thrown into the fire,^(Q)
    into miry pits, never to rise.
¹¹ May slanderers not be established in the land;
    may disaster hunt down the violent.^(R)

¹² I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor^(S)
    and upholds the cause^(T) of the needy.^(U)
13 Surely the righteous will praise your name,^(V)
    and the upright will live^(W) in your presence.^(X)