Ecclesiastes 12
12
The Twilight of Life
1So remember your Creator in the days of your youth:
Before the days of adversity come,
and the years approach when you will say, # Ec 11:8
“I have no delight in them”;
2before the sun and the light are darkened, # Is 5:30; Ezk 32:7-8
and the moon and the stars,
and the clouds return after # Or with the rain;
3on the day when the guardians of the house tremble,
and the strong men stoop,
the women who grind cease because they are few,
and the ones who watch through the windows see dimly, # Gn 27:1; 48:10; 1Sm 3:2
4the doors at the street are shut
while the sound of the mill fades; # Jr 25:10; Rv 18:22
when one rises at the sound of a bird,
and all the daughters of song grow faint.
5Also, they are afraid of heights and dangers on the road;
the almond tree blossoms,
the grasshopper loses its spring, # Or grasshopper is weighed down, or grasshopper drags itself along
and the caper berry has no effect;
for man is headed to his eternal home, # Jb 17:13; 30:23
and mourners will walk around in the street; # Jr 9:17
6before the silver cord is snapped, # Alt Hb tradition reads removed
and the gold bowl is broken, # Zch 4:2-3
and the jar is shattered at the spring,
and the wheel is broken into the well;
7and the dust returns to the earth as it once was,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it. # Gn 2:7; 3:19; Ec 3:21
8“Absolute futility,” says the Teacher. “Everything is futile.” # Ec 1:2
The Teacher’s Objectives and Conclusion
9In addition to the Teacher being a wise man, he constantly taught the people knowledge; he weighed, explored, and arranged many proverbs. # 1Kg 4:32; Pr 1:1 10The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and write words of truth accurately. 11The sayings of the wise are like goads, # Pr 1:6; 22:17 and those from masters of collections are like firmly embedded nails. # Ezr 9:8; Is 22:23 The sayings are given by one Shepherd. # Or by a shepherd
12But beyond these, my son, be warned: there is no end to the making of many books, # 1Kg 4:32-33; Jn 21:25 and much study wearies the body. # Ec 1:18 13When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is: fear God # Pr 1:7; Ec 3:14; 5:7; 7:18; 8:12-13 and keep His commands, because this is for all humanity. # Ps 97:5; Ac 4:12; Rm 10:12 14For God will bring every act to judgment, # Ec 3:17; 11:9; Rv 20:12 including every hidden thing, whether good or evil.
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Ecclesiastes 12: HCSB
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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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