12 Remember to serve God while you are young.
He is the one who made you.
Your life will have many troubles in the future.
During those years, you will say,
‘I do not enjoy my life any more.’
2 When you are old, the light from the sun will not seem to be bright.
You will not see the moon or the stars.
There will always be dark clouds after the rain.
3 Your arms that have kept you safe will shake.
Your legs will become weak.
You will have only a few teeth to eat with.
Your eyes will no longer see very well.
4 Your ears will not hear noises outside in the streets.
You will not hear the sound of people as they work.
You will not hear the sound of people as they sing songs.
But a bird's song will wake you
when you want to sleep.
5 You will be afraid to stand on high places.
You will worry about danger in the streets.
When you are old, your hair will become white,
like the flowers on an almond tree.
You will feel too tired to move yourself,
like an old grasshopper.
You will not want to have sex.
Finally, we will all die and go to our home in the ground.
Many people will weep at our funeral.
6 Remember to serve God while you are young,
because one day your life will finish.
It will be like a silver chain that breaks;
like a gold bowl that breaks;
like a water pot at the well that breaks into pieces;
like a rope at the well that breaks apart. [ a ]
7 Our bodies go back into the ground as dust.
The breath of our life goes back to God,
who gave it to us. [ b ]
8 So I, the Teacher, say,
‘All these things have no purpose.
We cannot understand why they happen.’
9 The Teacher was wise man. He also taught the people to understand things. He studied many proverbs and he wrote them down carefully. 10 The Teacher tried to find the right words, so that he could show the true meaning of what he wrote. 11 The words of wise people are like sharp sticks that a farmer uses to move his animals along. Their messages are like strong nails in a piece of wood. It is God, our one Shepherd, who gives these messages to us.
12 My son, I warn you to be careful about any other teaching. There will always be more and more books to read. If you try to study everything, you will be very weak and tired.
13 Now I have heard everything and this is what I have decided: Respect God and obey his commands. That is God's purpose for all people. 14 Remember that God will judge everything that we do, to see if it is good or it is bad. He knows even the things that we do secretly.
12 Remember your Creator while you are young, before the bad times come—before the years come when you say, “I have wasted my life.” [ a ]
2 Remember your Creator while you are young, before the time comes when the sun and the moon and the stars become dark to you—before problems come again and again like one storm after another.
3 At that time your arms will lose their strength. Your legs will become weak and bent. Your teeth will fall out, and you will not be able to chew your food. Your eyes will not see clearly. 4 You will become hard of hearing. You will not hear the noise in the streets. Even the stone grinding your grain will seem quiet to you. You will not be able to hear the women singing. But even the sound of a bird singing will wake you early in the morning because you will not be able to sleep.
5 You will be afraid of high places. You will be afraid of tripping over every small thing in your path. Your hair will become white like the flowers on an almond tree. You will drag yourself along like a grasshopper when you walk. You will lose your desire, [ b ] and then you will go to your eternal home. The mourners will gather in the streets as they carry your body to the grave.
6 Remember your Creator while you are young,
before the silver rope snaps and the golden bowl is crushed
like a jar broken at the well,
like a stone cover on a well that breaks and falls in.
7 Your body came from the earth.
And when you die, it will return to the earth.
But your spirit came from God,
and when you die, it will return to him.
8 Everything is so meaningless. The Teacher says that it is all a waste of time! [ c ]
9 The Teacher was very wise. He used his wisdom to teach the people. He very carefully studied and arranged [ d ] many wise teachings. 10 The Teacher tried very hard to find the right words, and he wrote the teachings that are true and dependable.
11 Words from the wise are like sharp goads. When these sayings are written down and saved, they can be used to guide people, just as a shepherd uses a sharp stick to make his sheep go the right way. 12 So, son, study these sayings, but be careful about other teachings. People are always writing books, and too much study will make you very tired.
13-14 Now, what should we learn from everything that is written in this book? [ e ] The most important thing a person can do is to respect God and obey his commands, because he knows about everything people do—even the secret things. He knows about all the good and all the bad, and he will judge people for everything they do.
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 the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not 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 those 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 the bird, and all the daughters of musick 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.
9 And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.
10 The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.
11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.
12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
12 ( A ) Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the ( B ) evil days come and the years approach when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; 2 before the ( C ) sun and the light, the moon and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain; 3 on the day that the watchmen of the house tremble, and strong men are ( D ) bent over, the grinders stop working because they are few, and ( E ) those who look through [ a ] windows grow [ b ] dim; 4 and the doors on the street are shut as the ( F ) sound of the grinding mill is low, and one will arise at the sound of the bird, and all the ( G ) daughters of song will [ c ] sing softly. 5 Furthermore, people are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and the caper berry is ineffective. For man goes to his eternal ( H ) home while the ( I ) mourners move around in the street. 6 Remember your Creator before the silver cord is [ d ] broken and the ( J ) golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the spring is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; 7 then the ( K ) dust will return to the earth as it was, and the [ e ] ( L ) spirit will return to ( M ) God who gave it. 8 “ ( N ) Futility of futilities,” says the Preacher, “all is futility!”
9 In addition to being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out, and arranged ( O ) many proverbs. 10 The Preacher sought to find ( P ) delightful words and to write ( Q ) words of truth correctly.
11 The ( R ) words of the wise are like [ f ] ( S ) goads, and masters of these collections are like driven ( T ) nails; they are given by one Shepherd. 12 But beyond this, my son, be warned: the [ g ] writing of ( U ) many books is endless, and excessive ( V ) study is [ h ] wearying to the body.
13 The conclusion, when everything has been heard, is : ( W ) fear God and ( X ) keep His commandments, because this applies to ( Y ) every person. 14 For ( Z ) God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.
12 Remember ( A ) your Creator
in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble ( B ) 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; ( C )
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 home ( D )
and mourners ( E ) 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 returns ( F ) to the ground it came from,
and the spirit returns to God ( G ) who gave it. ( H )
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. ( K ) 10 The Teacher ( L ) searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true. ( M )
11 The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails ( N ) —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. ( O )
