Ecclesiastes 12
12
1 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth,
before the evil days come, and the years draw near,
when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them;”
2 Before the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars are darkened,
and 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 who look out of the windows are darkened,
4 and the doors shall be shut in the street;
when the sound of the grinding is low,
and one shall rise up at the voice of a bird,
and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;
5 yes, they shall be afraid of heights,
and terrors will be on the way;
and the almond tree shall blossom,
and the grasshopper shall be a burden,
and desire shall fail;
because man goes to his everlasting home,
and the mourners go about 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“Vanity of vanities,” says Kohelet#12:8 the Preacher (or, Assembler).
“All is vanity!”
9 Further, because Kohelet#12:9 the Preacher (or, Assembler) was wise, he still taught the people knowledge. Yes, he pondered, sought out, and set in order many proverbs. 10The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written blamelessly, words of truth. 11The words of the wise are like goads; and like nails well fastened are words from the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. 12Furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
13 This is the end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. 14For God will bring every work into judgement, with every hidden thing, whether it is good, or whether it is evil.
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Kohelet (Ecc) 12
12
1So remember your creator while you are young,
before the evil days come,
and the years approach when you will say,
“They no longer give me pleasure”;
2before the sun and the light grow dim,
also the moon and the stars;
before the clouds return after the rain;
3on the day when the guards of the house are trembling,
and men of courage are bent over double;
when the women stop grinding grain,
because there are so few;
when the women at the windows
can no longer see out;
4when the doors to the streets are kept shut;
when the noise from the grain-mill fades;
when a person is startled by the chirp of a bird,
yet their singing is hard to hear;
5when they will be afraid to go up a hill,
and terrors will stalk the way,
even though the almond tree is in bloom;
when the locust can only drag itself along,
and the caper berry has no [aphrodisiac] effect —
because the person is headed for his eternal home,
and the mourners are already gathering
in the marketplace —
6before the silver cord is snapped
the bowl of gold is cracked,
the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
the pulley is broken at the cistern,
7the dust returns to earth, as it was,
and the spirit returns to God, who gave it!
8Pointless! Meaningless! — says Kohelet,
Nothing matters at all!
9Not only was Kohelet wise, he also taught the people what he knew; also he weighed, researched and corrected many ethical sayings. 10Kohelet worked to develop an attractive writing style, in which he expressed the truth straightforwardly. 11The sayings of the wise are as sharp as goads, and those given by leaders of assemblies are like well-fixed nails; [in this case,] they are presented by a single shepherd. 12In addition, my son, take heed: one can write many books — there’s no end to it; and one can study so much that it wearies the flesh.
13Here is the final conclusion, now that you have heard everything: fear God, and keep his mitzvot; this is what being human is all about. 14For God will bring to judgment everything we do, including every secret, whether good or bad.
[Here is the final conclusion, now that you have heard everything: fear God, and keep his mitzvot; this is what being human is all about.]
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