Ecclesiastes 12
12
1Remember your Creator when you are young,
before the days of trouble come
and the years catch up with you.
They will make you say,
“I have found no pleasure in them.”
2Remember your Creator before the sun, the light, the moon,
and the stars turn dark, ⌞and⌟ the clouds come back with rain.
3Remember your Creator when those who guard the house tremble,
strong men are stooped over,
the women at the mill stop grinding
because there are so few of them,
⌞and⌟ those who look out of the windows
see a dim light.
4Remember your Creator when the doors to the street are closed,
the sound of the mill is muffled,
you are startled at the sound of a bird,
⌞and⌟ those who sing songs become quiet.
5Remember your Creator when someone is afraid of heights
and of dangers along the road,
the almond tree blossoms,
the grasshopper drags itself along,
⌞and⌟ the caper bush has ⌞no⌟ fruit.
Mortals go to their eternal rest, and mourners go out in the streets.
6Remember your Creator before the silver cord is snapped,
the golden bowl is broken,
the pitcher is smashed near the spring,
and the water wheel is broken at the cistern.
7Then the dust ⌞of mortals⌟ goes back to the ground as it was before,
and the breath of life goes back to God who gave it.
8“Absolutely pointless!” says the spokesman. “Everything is pointless!”
Lifelong Duty—Fear God and Keep His Commands
9Besides being wise, the spokesman also taught the people what he knew. He very carefully thought about it, studied it, and arranged it in many proverbs. 10The spokesman tried to find just the right words. He wrote the words of truth very carefully.
11Words from wise people are like spurs. Their collected sayings are like nails that have been driven in firmly. They come from one shepherd. 12Be warned, my children, against anything more than these. People never stop writing books. Too much studying will wear out your body. 13After having heard it all, this is the conclusion: Fear God, and keep his commands, because this applies to everyone. 14God will certainly judge everything that is done. This includes every secret thing, whether it is good or bad.
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Qoheleth (Ecclesiastes) 12
12
1Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw near when you say, “I have no pleasure in them”:
2Before the sun and the light, the moon and the stars, are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain;
3in the day when the guards of the house tremble, and the strong men shall bow down; when the grinders shall cease because they are few, and those that look through the windows shall become dim;
4and the doors shall be shut in the streets, and the sound of grinding is low; and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are bowed down;
5furthermore, they are afraid of what is high, and of low places in the way; and the almond tree blossoms, and the grasshopper becomes a burden, and desire perishes. For man is going to his everlasting home, and the mourners shall go about the streets.
6Remember Him before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the jar shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the well,
7and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to Elohim who gave it.
8“Futility! Futility!” said the Qoheleth, “All is futile.”
9And besides being wise, Qoheleth also taught the people knowledge, and he listened and sought out – set in order many proverbs.
10Qoheleth sought to find out words of delight, and words of truth, rightly written.
11The words of the wise are like goads, and as nails driven by the masters of collections – they were given by one Shepherd.
12And besides these, my son, be warned – the making of many books has no end, and much study is a wearying of the flesh.
13Let us hear the conclusion of the entire matter: Fear Elohim and guard His commands, for this applies to all mankind!
14For Elohim shall bring every work into right-ruling, including all that is hidden, whether good or whether evil.
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