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12 Remember your Creator
    in the days of your youth,
before the difficult days come
    and the years arrive when you say,
    “I have no pleasure in them”:
before the sun, light,
    moon, and stars are darkened,
    and the clouds leave after the rain;
in the day when those watching the house tremble,
    and the strong men are bent over;
when the grinders cease because they are few,
    and those looking through the windows have dimmed eyes;
and the doors on the street are shut,
    and the sound of grinding is low;
and one rises up at the sound of a bird,
    and all the daughters of song are brought low;
when they are afraid of heights,
    even the terrors along the road;
the almond tree blossoms,
    the grasshopper drags itself along
    and desire fails,
because man goes to his eternal home,
    and the mourners go about the streets.

Remember your Creator before the cord of silver is snapped,
    or the bowl of gold smashed,
or the jar by the spring broken
    or the wheel at the cistern crushed.
The dust returns to the earth where it was,
    and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

It is all vanity, says the Preacher;
    all is vanity.

Epilogue

And in addition to being wise, the Preacher still taught the people knowledge, and he considered, sought out, and arranged many proverbs. 10 And the Preacher sought to discover words of delight, and to write in uprightness words of truth.

11 The words of the wise are like goads, and the collected sayings are like firmly embedded nails, given by one shepherd. 12 My son, beware of anything beyond these.

Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness to the flesh.

13 Now all has been heard.
    Let us hear the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep 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.

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!”
Before the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars darken
    and the clouds return after the rain.
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.
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.
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.
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.
And the dust returns to the earth as it was,
    and the breath returns to God who gave it.

Motto Restated

“Vanity of vanity!” says the Teacher.[a]
    “Everything is vanity!”

Epilogue

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

  1. Ecclesiastes 12:8 Hebrew “Qohelet”
  2. Ecclesiastes 12:9 Hebrew “Qohelet”
  3. Ecclesiastes 12:10 Hebrew “Qohelet”
  4. Ecclesiastes 12:10 Hebrew “words of delight”
  5. Ecclesiastes 12:10 The MT reads the term passively, “what is written,” but an alternate textual tradition reads, “and he wrote”
  6. Ecclesiastes 12:11 Or “The owner of collections are given by one shepherd”
  7. Ecclesiastes 12:12 Literally “but from more than them”
  8. Ecclesiastes 12:12 Literally “increases weariness of flesh”