Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

³ Look, children are a gift of the Lord,
    and the fruit of the womb is a reward.
⁴ As arrows in the hand of a mighty warrior,
    so are the children of one’s youth.
⁵ Happy is the man
    who has his quiver full of them;
he shall not be ashamed
    when he speaks with the enemies at the gate.

12 Remember your Creator
    in the days of your youth,
before the difficult days come
    and the years arrive when you say,
    “I have no pleasure in them”:
² before the sun, light,
    moon, and stars are darkened,
    and the clouds leave after the rain;
³ in the day when those watching the house tremble,
    and the strong men are bent over;
when the grinders cease because they are few,
    and those looking through the windows have dimmed eyes;
⁴ and the doors on the street are shut,
    and the sound of grinding is low;
and one rises up at the sound of a bird,
    and all the daughters of song are brought low;
⁵ when they are afraid of heights,
    even the terrors along the road;
the almond tree blossoms,
    the grasshopper drags itself along
    and desire fails,
because man goes to his eternal home,
    and the mourners go about the streets.

⁶ Remember your Creator before the cord of silver is snapped,
    or the bowl of gold smashed,
or the jar by the spring broken
    or the wheel at the cistern crushed.
⁷ The dust returns to the earth where it was,
    and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

⁸ It is all vanity, says the Preacher;
    all is vanity.

¹³ Now all has been heard.
    Let us hear the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
    for this is the whole duty of man.
¹⁴ For God will bring every deed into judgment,
    including every secret thing,
    whether good or evil.