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Ecclesiastes 12
English Standard Version
Ecclesiastes 12
English Standard Version
Remember Your Creator in Your Youth
12 Remember also your Creator in (A)the days of your youth, before (B)the evil days come and the years draw near of which (C)you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; 2 before (D)the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, 3 in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and (E)those who look through the windows are dimmed, 4 and (F)the doors on the street are shut—when (G)the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all (H)the daughters of song are brought low— 5 they are afraid also of what is high, and (I)terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along,[a] and desire fails, because man is going to his (J)eternal (K)home, and the (L)mourners go about the streets— 6 before the silver cord is snapped, or (M)the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is (N)shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, 7 and (O)the dust returns to the earth as it was, and (P)the spirit returns to God (Q)who gave it. 8 (R)Vanity[b] of vanities, says (S)the Preacher; all is vanity.
Fear God and Keep His Commandments
9 Besides being wise, (T)the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging (U)many proverbs with great care. 10 (V)The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth.
11 (W)The words of the wise are like goads, and like (X)nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are (Y)given by (Z)one Shepherd. 12 My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making (AA)many books there is no end, and (AB)much study is a weariness of the flesh.
13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. (AC)Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.[c] 14 For (AD)God will bring every deed into judgment, with[d] every secret thing, whether good or evil.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 12:5 Or is a burden
- Ecclesiastes 12:8 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (three times in this verse); see note on 1:2
- Ecclesiastes 12:13 Or the duty of all mankind
- Ecclesiastes 12:14 Or into the judgment on
Eclesiastés 12
La Palabra (Hispanoamérica)
Eclesiastés 12
La Palabra (Hispanoamérica)
12 Ten en cuenta a tu creador
en tus días de juventud,
antes de que lleguen los días malos
y se acerquen los años en que digas:
“no siento ningún placer”;
2 antes de que se oscurezca el sol,
y no den luz la luna y las estrellas,
y retornen las nubes tras la lluvia;
3 cuando tiemblen los guardianes de la casa
y se encorven los valientes;
cuando se paren las que muelen, por ser pocas,
y queden a oscuras las que miran por las ventanas;
4 cuando se cierren las puertas de la calle
y se apague el ruido del molino;
cuando se extinga el canto del pájaro
y enmudezcan todas las canciones;
5 cuando den miedo las alturas
y haya sobresaltos en el camino;
cuando no se aprecie el almendro,
se haga pesada la langosta
y sea ineficaz la alcaparra;
porque va el ser humano a su morada eterna
y merodean por la calle las plañideras.
6 Antes de que se rompa el hilo de plata,
y se quiebre la copa de oro;
antes de que se haga añicos el cántaro en la fuente
y se precipite la polea en el pozo;
7 antes de que vuelva el polvo a la tierra, a lo que era,
y el espíritu vuelva a Dios, que lo dio.
8 ¡Pura ilusión! —dice Cohélet— ¡Todo es ilusión!
Epílogo sobre la obra de Cohélet
9 Cohélet, además de ser un sabio, también instruyó al pueblo; investigó, estudió y compuso muchos proverbios. 10 Cohélet procuró encontrar palabras adecuadas para escribir con acierto sentencias veraces.
11 Las palabras de los sabios son como aguijones
y, reunidas en colecciones,
son como estacas bien clavadas,
regalos de un mismo pastor.
12 Aparte de esto, hijo mío, ten cuidado: escribir muchos libros es tarea sin fin y excesivo estudio perjudica la salud. 13 Conclusión del discurso: todo está dicho. Respeta a Dios y guarda sus mandamientos, pues en eso consiste ser persona. 14 Porque Dios juzgará toda acción, incluso las ocultas, sean buenas o malas.
Ecclesiastes 12
New International Version
Ecclesiastes 12
New International Version
12 Remember(A) your Creator
in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble(B) come
and the years approach when you will say,
“I find no pleasure in them”—
2 before the sun and the light
and the moon and the stars grow dark,
and the clouds return after the rain;
3 when the keepers of the house tremble,
and the strong men stoop,
when the grinders cease because they are few,
and those looking through the windows grow dim;
4 when the doors to the street are closed
and the sound of grinding fades;
when people rise up at the sound of birds,
but all their songs grow faint;(C)
5 when people are afraid of heights
and of dangers in the streets;
when the almond tree blossoms
and the grasshopper drags itself along
and desire no longer is stirred.
Then people go to their eternal home(D)
and mourners(E) go about the streets.
6 Remember him—before the silver cord is severed,
and the golden bowl is broken;
before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
and the wheel broken at the well,
7 and the dust returns(F) to the ground it came from,
and the spirit returns to God(G) who gave it.(H)
The Conclusion of the Matter
9 Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs.(K) 10 The Teacher(L) searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true.(M)
11 The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails(N)—given by one shepherd.[b] 12 Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.
Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.(O)
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 12:8 Or the leader of the assembly; also in verses 9 and 10
- Ecclesiastes 12:11 Or Shepherd
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
La Palabra (Hispanoamérica) (BLPH)
La Palabra, (versión hispanoamericana) © 2010 Texto y Edición, Sociedad Bíblica de España
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.