12 Rememberb your Creator
in the days
of your youth,
before the
days of troublec 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;d
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 homee
and
mournersf
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 returnsg to the ground it
came from,
and the
spirit returns to Godh who gave it.i
8 “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the
Teacher.a j
“Everything
is meaningless!k”
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.l 10 The Teacherm
searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true.n
11 The words of the wise are like goads,
their collected sayings like firmly embedded nailso—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.p
13 Now all has been heard;
here is the
conclusion of the matter:
Fear Godq
and keep his commandments,r
for this is
the duty of all mankind.s
14 For God will bring every deed into
judgment,t
including
every hidden thing,u
whether it
is good or evil. [1]
b Ecc 11:8
c See 2 Sa 19:35
d Jer 25:10
e See Job 10:21
f Jer 9:17; Am 5:16
g See Ge 2:7; See Ps 146:4
h Ecc 3:21
i See Job 20:8
a Or the leader of the assembly; also in
verses 9 and 10
j Ecc 1:1
k See Ecc 1:2
l 1 Ki 4:32
m See Ecc 1:1
n Pr 22:20–21
o See Ezr 9:8; See Job 6:25
b
Or Shepherd
p See Ecc 1:18
q See Ex 20:20; See 1 Sa 12:24; See Job
23:15; See Ps 19:9
r See Dt 4:2
s See Dt 4:6; See Job 37:24
t See Job 19:29; See Ecc 3:17
u See Job 34:21; See Ps 19:12; Jer 16:17;
23:24
[1] The New
International Version. 2011. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
