Remember God in Your Youth

12 ^(A)Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the ^(B)evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no delight in them”; ² before the ^(C)sun and the light, the moon and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain;

⁶ Remember Him before the silver cord is ^[a]broken and the ^(A)golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; ⁷ then the ^(B)dust will return to the earth as it was, and the ^[b](C)spirit will return to ^(D)God who gave it. ⁸ “^(E)Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “all is vanity!”

Purpose of the Preacher

⁹ In addition to being a wise man, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out and arranged ^(F)many proverbs. ¹⁰ The Preacher sought to find ^(G)delightful words and to write ^(H)words of truth correctly.

¹¹ The ^(I)words of wise men are like ^(J)goads, and masters of these collections are like ^[c]well-driven ^(K)nails; they are given by one Shepherd. ¹² But beyond this, my son, be warned: the ^[d]writing of ^(L)many books is endless, and excessive ^(M)devotion to books is wearying to the body.