Ecclesiastes 12
12
1So remember your Creator#12.1 The Hebrew expression for your Creator sounds like the Hebrew for your grave. while you are still young, before those dismal days and years come when you will say, “I don't enjoy life.” 2That is when the light of the sun, the moon, and the stars will grow dim for you, and the rain clouds will never pass away. 3Then your arms, that have protected you, will tremble, and your legs, now strong, will grow weak. Your teeth will be too few to chew your food, and your eyes too dim to see clearly. 4Your ears will be deaf to the noise of the street. You will barely be able to hear the mill as it grinds or music as it plays, but even the song of a bird will wake you from sleep. 5You will be afraid of high places, and walking will be dangerous. Your hair will turn white; you will hardly be able to drag yourself along, and all desire will have gone.
We are going to our final resting place, and then there will be mourning in the streets. 6The silver chain will snap, and the golden lamp will fall and break; the rope at the well will break, and the water jar will be shattered. 7Our bodies will return to the dust of the earth, and the breath of life will go back to God, who gave it to us.
8Useless, useless, said the Philosopher. It is all useless.
The Summing Up
9But because the Philosopher was wise, he kept on teaching the people what he knew. He studied proverbs and honestly tested their truth. 10The Philosopher tried to find comforting words, but the words he wrote were honest. 11The sayings of the wise are like the sharp sticks that shepherds use to guide sheep, and collected proverbs are as lasting as firmly driven nails. They have been given by God, the one Shepherd of us all.
12My child, there is something else to watch out for. There is no end to the writing of books, and too much study will wear you out.
13After all this, there is only one thing to say: have reverence for God, and obey his commands, because this is all that human beings were created for. 14God is going to judge everything we do, whether good or bad, even things done in secret.
Currently Selected:
Ecclesiastes 12: GNBDK
Highlight
Share
Copy
![None](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimageproxy.youversionapi.com%2F58%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fweb-assets.youversion.com%2Fapp-icons%2Fen.png&w=128&q=75)
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Good News Bible with Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
Ecclesiastes 12
12
The Problems of Old Age
1Remember your Creator while you are young.
Your old age is coming
when you will have many troubles.
When that time comes,
you won’t have much to enjoy.
2When you become old,
the light from the sun, moon and stars will seem dark to you.
It will seem as if the rain clouds never go away.
3At that time your arms will lose their strength.
Your strong legs will become weak and bent.
Your teeth will fall out so you cannot chew.
Your eyes will not see clearly.
4Your ears will be deaf to the noise in the streets.
You will barely hear singing.
The sound of the millstone grinding your grain will seem very quiet.
But you’ll wake up when a bird first starts singing!
5You will fear high places.
And you will be afraid to go for a walk because you may fall.
Your hair will become white like the flowers on an almond tree.
You will limp along like a grasshopper when you walk.
Your desires will be gone.
Then you will go to your everlasting home.
And people will go to your funeral.
6Remember God before your life is snapped like a silver chain.
Remember God before your life is broken like a golden bowl.
It will be as useless as a broken bucket at the spring.
It will be no good, like a broken wheel at a water well.
7Your body will become part of the dust of the earth again.
But your spirit will return to God who gave it.
8Everything is useless!
The Teacher says that everything is useless.
Conclusion
9The Teacher was very wise. He taught the people what he knew. The Teacher very carefully thought about, studied and set in order many wise teachings. 10The Teacher looked for just the right words. He wrote teachings that are dependable and true.
11Words from wise men are like sharp sticks used to guide animals. These words are like nails that have been driven in firmly. They are wise teachings that come from God the Shepherd. 12So be careful, my son, about other teachings. People are always writing books. And too much study will make you very tired.
13Now, everything has been heard.
Here is my final advice:
Honor God and obey his commands.
This is the most important thing people can do.
14God knows everything people do,
even the things done in secret.
He knows all the good and all the bad.
He will judge everything people do.
Ecclesiastes 11
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
![None](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimageproxy.youversionapi.com%2F58%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fweb-assets.youversion.com%2Fapp-icons%2Fen.png&w=128&q=75)
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.