Ecclesiastes 12:9-14 English Standard Version
Fear God and Keep His Commandments
9 Besides being wise, (A)the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging (B)many proverbs with great care. 10 (C)The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth.
11 (D)The words of the wise are like goads, and like (E)nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are (F)given by (G)one Shepherd. 12 My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making (H)many books there is no end, and (I)much study is a weariness of the flesh.
13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. (J)Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.[a] 14 For (K)God will bring every deed into judgment, with[b] every secret thing, whether good or evil.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Ecclesiastes 12:13 Or the duty of all mankind
- Ecclesiastes 12:14 Or into the judgment on
Cross references
- Ecclesiastes 12:9 : [See ver. 8 above]; See ch. 1:1
- Ecclesiastes 12:9 : See Prov. 1:1
- Ecclesiastes 12:10 : [See ver. 8 above]; See ch. 1:1
- Ecclesiastes 12:11 : Prov. 22:17
- Ecclesiastes 12:11 : Ezra 9:8; Isa. 22:23
- Ecclesiastes 12:11 : Prov. 1:6; 2:6
- Ecclesiastes 12:11 : Ps. 80:1; Ezek. 34:23; John 10:11, 16
- Ecclesiastes 12:12 : [1 Kgs. 4:32, 33]
- Ecclesiastes 12:12 : [ch. 1:18]
- Ecclesiastes 12:13 : ch. 5:7; Deut. 6:2; 10:12
- Ecclesiastes 12:14 : ch. 11:9; Job 19:29; Matt. 12:36; Acts 17:31; Rom. 2:16; 14:10, 12; 1 Cor. 4:5; [ch. 3:15, 17; Gen. 18:25; Ps. 58:11]
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
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