Chapter 12

Remember³ now thy Creator⁶ in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come⁴ not, nor the years draw nigh,⁵² when thou shalt say,⁴ I have no pleasure in them;

While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened,⁴ nor the clouds return¹ after the rain:

In the day when the keepers⁶ of the house shall tremble,⁴ and the strong men shall bow⁹⁸ themselves, and the grinders⁶ cease¹ because they are few,¹⁴ and those that look⁶ out of the windows be darkened,¹

And the doors shall be shut²⁷ in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up⁴ at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;¹¹

Also [when] they shall be afraid⁴ of [that which is] high, and fears [shall be] in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish,⁵⁵ and the grasshopper shall be a burden,¹⁰¹ and desire shall fail:⁵⁵ because man goeth⁶ to his long home, and the mourners⁶ go about¹ the streets:

Or ever the silver cord be loosed,^{11 7368 11} or the golden bowl be broken,⁴ or the pitcher be broken¹¹ at the fountain, or the wheel broken⁸ at the cistern.

Then shall the dust return⁴ to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return⁴ unto God who gave¹ it.

Vanity of vanities, saith¹ the preacher; all [is] vanity.

And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught¹⁴ the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed,¹⁴ and sought out,¹⁴ [and] set in order¹⁴ many⁵³ proverbs.

The preacher sought¹⁴ to find out² acceptable words: and [that which was] written⁷ [was] upright, [even] words of truth.

The words of the wise [are] as goads, and as nails fastened⁷ [by] the masters of assemblies, [which] are given⁸ from one shepherd.⁶

And further, by these, my son, be admonished:¹⁰ of making² many⁵³ books [there is] no end; and much⁵³ study [is] a weariness of the flesh.

Let us hear⁴ the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear³ God, and keep³ his commandments: for this [is] the whole [duty] of man.

For God shall bring⁵⁵ every work into judgment, with every secret thing,¹² whether [it be] good, or whether [it be] evil.