Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:8
21st Century King James Version
7 Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun;
8 but if a man live many years and rejoice in them all, yet let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.
9 Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth. And walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou that for all these things, God will bring thee into judgment.
10 Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh, for childhood and youth are vanity.
12 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say, “I have no pleasure in them”;
2 while neither the sun nor the light, nor the moon nor the stars be darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain;
3 in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and the eyes that look out of the windows be darkened;
4 and the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low; and he shall rise up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;
5 also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way; and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail; because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets;
6 or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern—
7 then shall the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
8 “Vanity of vanities,” saith the Preacher. “All is vanity.”
Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:8
American Standard Version
7 Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun. 8 [a]Yea, if a man live many years, let him rejoice in them all; [b]but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity. 9 Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. 10 Therefore remove [c]sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.
12 Remember also thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; 2 before 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 shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the [d]grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows shall be darkened, 4 and the doors shall be shut in the street; when the sound of the grinding is low, and one shall rise up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low; 5 yea, they shall be afraid [e]of that which is high, and terrors shall be in the way; and the almond-tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper [f]shall be a burden, and [g]desire shall [h]fail; because man goeth to his everlasting home, and the mourners go about the streets: 6 before the silver cord is [i]loosed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, 7 and the dust returneth to the earth as it was, and the spirit returneth unto God who gave it. 8 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; all is vanity.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 11:8 Or, For
- Ecclesiastes 11:8 Or, and remember
- Ecclesiastes 11:10 Or, vexation. Or, provocation
- Ecclesiastes 12:3 Or, grinding women
- Ecclesiastes 12:5 Or, of danger from on high
- Ecclesiastes 12:5 Or, shall drag itself along
- Ecclesiastes 12:5 Or, the caperberry
- Ecclesiastes 12:5 Or, burst
- Ecclesiastes 12:6 Or, snapped asunder
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