| 12:1 | Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the difficult days come, And the years draw near when you say, "I have no pleasure in them": |
| 12:2 | While the sun and the light, The moon and the stars, Are not darkened, And the clouds do not return after the rain; |
| 12:3 | In the day when the keepers of the house tremble, And the strong men bow down; When the grinders cease because they are few, And those that look through the windows grow dim; |
| 12:4 | When the doors are shut in the streets, And the sound of grinding is low; When one rises up at the sound of a bird, And all the daughters of music are brought low; |
| 12:5 | Also they are afraid of height, And of terrors in the way; When the almond tree blossoms, The grasshopper is a burden, And desire fails. For man goes to his eternal home, And the mourners go about the streets. |
| 12:6 | [Remember your Creator] before the silver cord is loosed, Or the golden bowl is broken, Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, Or the wheel broken at the well. |
| 12:7 | Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it. |
| 12:8 | "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "All [is] vanity." |
| 12:9 | And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes, he pondered and sought out [and] set in order many proverbs. |
| 12:10 | The Preacher sought to find acceptable words; and [what was] written [was] uprightwords of truth. |
| 12:11 | The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like welldriven nails, given by one Shepherd. |
| 12:12 | And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books [there is] no end, and much study [is] wearisome to the flesh. |
| 12:13 | Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all. |
| 12:14 | For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil. |
Ecclesiastes 12 - New King James Version
