Ecclesiastes 12
Lexham English Bible
Advice to the Young: Life is Short and Then You Die
12 Remember your Creator in the days of your youth—
before the days of trouble come
and the years draw near when you will say,
“I find no pleasure in them!”
2 Before the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars darken
and the clouds return after the rain.
3 When the guards of the house tremble,
and the men of strength are bent;
the grinders cease because they are few,
and those looking through the windows see dimly.
4 When the doors on the street are shut,
when the sound of the grinding mill is low;
one rises up to the sound of the bird,
and all the daughters of song are brought low.
5 They are afraid of heights,
and terrors are on the road.
The almond tree blossoms,
and the grasshopper draws itself along, and desire fails
because man goes to his eternal home,
and the mourners go about in the streets.
6 Before the silver cord is snapped
and the golden bowl is broken;
and the jar at the foundation is broken,
and the wheel at the cistern is broken.
7 And the dust returns to the earth as it was,
and the breath returns to God who gave it.
Motto Restated
8 “Vanity of vanity!” says the Teacher.[a]
“Everything is vanity!”
Epilogue
9 The Teacher[b] was full of wisdom, and he taught the people with knowledge. He carefully considered many proverbs and carefully arranged them. 10 The Teacher[c] sought to find delightful words,[d] and he wrote[e] what is upright—truthful words.
11 The words of the wise are like cattle goads; the collections of the sages are like pricks inflicted by one shepherd.[f] 12 My son, be careful about anything beyond these things.[g] For the writing of books is endless, and too much study is wearisome.[h]
13 Now that all has been heard, here is the final conclusion:
Fear God and obey his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every secret thing, whether good or evil.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 12:8 Hebrew “Qohelet”
- Ecclesiastes 12:9 Hebrew “Qohelet”
- Ecclesiastes 12:10 Hebrew “Qohelet”
- Ecclesiastes 12:10 Hebrew “words of delight”
- Ecclesiastes 12:10 The MT reads the term passively, “what is written,” but an alternate textual tradition reads, “and he wrote”
- Ecclesiastes 12:11 Or “The owner of collections are given by one shepherd”
- Ecclesiastes 12:12 Literally “but from more than them”
- Ecclesiastes 12:12 Literally “increases weariness of flesh”
Ecclesiastes 12
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
12 Remember your creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; 2 before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return with[a] the rain; 3 in the day when the guards of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the women who grind cease working because they are few, and those who look through the windows see dimly; 4 when the doors on the street are shut, and the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low;(A) 5 when one is afraid of heights, and terrors are in the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along,[b] and the caper bud falls; because all must go to their eternal home, and the mourners will go about the streets;(B) 6 before the silver cord is snapped,[c] and the golden bowl is broken, and the pitcher is broken at the fountain, and the wheel broken at the cistern, 7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the breath[d] returns to God who gave it.(C) 8 Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher; all is vanity.
Epilogue
9 Besides being wise, the Teacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs.(D) 10 The Teacher sought to find pleasing words, and he wrote words of truth plainly.(E)
11 The sayings of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings that are given by one shepherd.[e](F) 12 Of anything beyond these, my child, beware. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments, for that is the whole duty of everyone.(G) 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including[f] every secret thing, whether good or evil.(H)
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