Remember Your Creator in Your Youth
1 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth,
before days of adversity 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 grow dark,
and the clouds return after the rain,
3 on the day when the guardians of the house shall tremble,
and the strong men are bent down,
and the grinders can no longer grind because they are few,
and those who watch from the windows see dimly,
4 and the doors to the city are shut,
when the sound of grinding dulls,
and one rises at the first chirp of a bird,
and then all the daughters of song grow quiet.
5 Yes, they shall be afraid of heights and terrors in the streets,
when the almond tree blooms white,
and the grasshopper’s gait grows burdensome and desire fails,
because man goes to his eternal 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 “Meaningless futility,” says the Preacher. “Everything is meaningless!”
The Fear of God is Utmost
9 Not only was the Preacher wise, he also taught the people knowledge. Yes, he pondered, sought out, and set in order many proverbs.
10 The Preacher sought to find acceptable sayings, that which was written without fault, words of truth. 11 The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails well fastened are words from the scholars, given from one shepherd. 12 Furthermore, 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. 14 For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it is good, or whether it is evil.