Ecclesiastes 12 (English Standard Version)

Ecclesiastes 12

Remember Your Creator in Your Youth

 ¹Remember also your Creator in^(A) the days of your youth, before^(B) the evil days come and the years draw near of which^(C) you will say, "I have no pleasure in them"; ²before^(D) the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, ³in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and^(E) those who look through the windows are dimmed, ⁴and^(F) the doors on the street are shut—when^(G) the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all^(H) the daughters of song are brought low— ⁵they are afraid also of what is high, and^(I) terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along,^[a] and desire fails, because man is going to his^(J) eternal^(K) home, and the^(L) mourners go about the streets— ⁶before the silver cord is snapped, or^(M) the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is^(N) shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, ⁷and^(O) the dust returns to the earth as it was, and^(P) the spirit returns to God^(Q) who gave it. ^8(R) Vanity of vanities, says^(S) the Preacher; all is vanity.

Fear God and Keep His Commandments

 ⁹Besides being wise,^(T) the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging^(U) many proverbs with great care. ^10(V) The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth.

 ^11(W) The words of the wise are like goads, and like^(X) nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are^(Y) given by^(Z) one Shepherd. ¹²My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making^(AA) many books there is no end, and^(AB) much study is a weariness of the flesh.

 ¹³The end of the matter; all has been heard.^(AC) Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.^{[b] 14}For^(AD) God will bring every deed into judgment, with^[c] every secret thing, whether good or evil.