Ecclesiastes 12 Remember your Creator in the days of your youth— before the days of trouble come and the years draw near when you will say, "I find no pleasure in them!"

VIN⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ Remember your Creator in the days of your youth— before the days of trouble come and the years draw near when you will say, "I find 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 When the guards of the house tremble, and the men of strength are bent; the grinders cease because they are few, and those looking through the windows see dimly. ⁴ When the doors to the road are closed, When the sound of the grinding becomes low, And one rises at the sound of the bird, Yet all the daughters of song are prostrate;" ⁵ They are afraid of heights, and terrors are on the road. The almond tree blossoms, and the grasshopper draws itself along, and desire fails because man goes to his eternal home, and the mourners go about in the streets. ⁶ before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the spring, or the wheel broken at the cistern, ⁷ and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. ⁸ "Utterly pointless," says the Teacher. "Everything is pointless." ⁹ And besides that Koheleth was wise, he also taught the people knowledge; yea, he pondered, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs. ¹⁰ The Teacher searched to find appropriate expressions, and what is written here is right and truthful. ¹¹ The words of the wise are like goads; yes, their collected words are like nails driven home; they are given from one Shepherd. ¹² And further, my son, be admonished by these: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. ¹³ Now that all has been heard, here is the final conclusion: Fear God and obey 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.