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.

⁵ On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, ⁶ with ^(A)Annas the high priest and ^(B)Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. ⁷ And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, ^(C)“By what power or ^(D)by what name did you do this?” ⁸ Then Peter, ^(E)filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, ⁹ if we are being examined today ^(F)concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, ¹⁰ let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that ^(G)by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, ^(H)whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. ^11 (I)This Jesus^[a] is the stone that was ^(J)rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.^{[b] 12} And there is ^(K)salvation ^(L)in no one else, for ^(M)there is no other ^(N)name under heaven given among men^[c] by which we must be saved.”

^13 (O)Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. ¹⁴ But seeing the man who was healed ^(P)standing beside them, ^(Q)they had nothing to say in opposition. ¹⁵ But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, ¹⁶ saying, ^(R)“What shall we do with these men? For that ^(S)a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷ But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them ^(T)to speak no more to anyone in this name.” ¹⁸ So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹ But Peter and John answered them, ^(U)“Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, ²⁰ for ^(V)we cannot but speak of what ^(W)we have seen and heard.” ²¹ And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, ^(X)because of the people, for all were praising God ^(Y)for what had happened. ²² For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.

The Believers Pray for Boldness

²³ When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. ²⁴ And when they heard it, they lifted their voices ^(Z)together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, ^(AA)who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, ²⁵ who through the mouth of our father David, your servant,^[d] said by the Holy Spirit,

²⁷ for truly in this city there were gathered together against your ^(AE)holy servant Jesus, ^(AF)whom you anointed, both ^(AG)Herod and ^(AH)Pontius Pilate, along ^(AI)with the Gentiles and ^(AJ)the peoples of Israel, ^28 (AK)to do whatever your hand and ^(AL)your plan had predestined to take place. ²⁹ And now, Lord, ^(AM)look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all ^(AN)boldness, ³⁰ while ^(AO)you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed ^(AP)through the name of your ^(AQ)holy servant Jesus.” ³¹ And when they had prayed, ^(AR)the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and ^(AS)they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and ^(AT)continued to speak the word of God with boldness.