Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:8

Christian Standard Bible

⁷ Light is sweet,
and it is pleasing for the eyes to see the sun.^(A)
8 Indeed, if someone lives many years,
let him rejoice in them all,
and let him remember the days of darkness,^(B) since they will be many.
All that comes is futile.
⁹ Rejoice, young person, while you are young,
and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth.
And walk in the ways of your heart
and in the desire of your eyes;^(C)
but know that for all of these things God will bring you to judgment.
¹⁰ Remove sorrow from your heart,
and put away pain from your flesh,^(D)
because youth and the prime of life are fleeting.

Before the days of adversity come,
and the years approach when you will say,^(E)
“I have no delight in them”;
² before the sun and the light are darkened,^(F)
and the moon and the stars,
and the clouds return after^[a] the rain;
³ on the day when the guardians of the house tremble,
and the strong men stoop,
the women who grind grain cease because they are few,
and the ones who watch through the windows see dimly,^(G)
4 the doors at the street are shut
while the sound of the mill fades;^(H)
when one rises at the sound of a bird,
and all the daughters of song grow faint.
⁵ Also, they are afraid of heights and dangers on the road;
the almond tree blossoms,
the grasshopper loses its spring,^[b]
and the caper berry has no effect;
for the mere mortal is headed to his eternal home,^(I)
and mourners will walk around in the street;^(J)
6 before the silver cord is snapped,^[c]
and the gold bowl is broken,^(K)
and the jar is shattered at the spring,
and the wheel is broken into the well;
⁷ and the dust returns to the earth as it once was,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.^(L)