EcclesiastesChapter 12

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¹Remember your Creator while you are young. Remember him before the hard days come. Remember him before the years come when you will say, "I find no joy in them." ²Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars grows dark. Remember him before the clouds come back after the rain. ³Then the keepers of the house will shake. The strong men will bend over. Those who grind will stop because they are few. And those looking through the windows will see dimly. ⁴Then the doors to the street will be shut. The sound of the mill will fade away. People will wake up at the sound of a bird. And all the songs will grow quiet. ⁵Then people will be afraid of high places and dangers in the road. The almond tree will bloom. The grasshopper will lose its spring. The caper berry will dry up. Then man goes to his eternal home. And people who mourn will walk in the streets. ⁶Remember him before the silver cord is snapped. Remember him before the golden bowl is crushed. Remember him before the jar is smashed at the spring. Remember him before the wheel is broken at the well. ⁷Remember him before the dust goes back to the ground it came from. Remember him before the spirit goes back to God who gave it. ⁸"Totally pointless!" says the Teacher. "Everything is pointless!" ⁹The Teacher was wise. He also taught the people knowledge. He thought hard about many proverbs. He searched them out and put them in order. ¹⁰The Teacher searched to find pleasing words. He wanted to write words that were true and right. ¹¹The words of the wise are like goads. Their collected sayings are like nails driven in firmly. They are given by one Shepherd.a ¹²My son, be warned about anything more than these. There is no end to making many books. And much study makes the body tired. ¹³Now everything has been heard. Here is the end of the matter. Fear God and keep his commands, because this is the whole duty of every person. ¹⁴For God will bring every deed into judgment. He will judge every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.