Ecclesiastes 12
1And remember thy Creator 1 In the days of thy youth, 1 Before the days of evil come, 1 And the years overtake thee in which thou shalt say, 1 I have no pleasure in them. 1
2While the sun and light are not darkened, 1 Nor the moon and the stars; 1 Nor the clouds return after the rain: 1
3In the day wherein the keepers of the house shall tremble, 1 And the mighty men shall become bent, 1 And the grinding women cease because they have become few, 1 And the women looking out at the windows be dark; 1
4And they shall shut the doors in the marketplace, 1 Because of the weakness of the voice of her that grinds at the mill; 1 And he shall rise up at the voice of the sparrow, 1 And all the daughters of song shall be brought low; 1
5And they shall look up, and fears shall be in the way, 1 And the almond tree shall blossom, 1 And the locust shall increase, 1 And the caper shall be scattered: 1 Because man has gone to his eternal home, 1 And the mourners have gone about the market: 1
6Before the silver cord be let go, 1 Or the choice gold be broken, 1 Or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, 1 Or the wheel run down to the cistern; 1
7Before the dust also return to the earth as it was, 1 And the spirit return to God who gave it. 1
8Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher; 1 All is vanity. 1
9And because the Preacher was wise above others, 1 So it was that he taught man excellent knowledge, 1 And the ear will trace out the parables. 1
10The Preacher sought diligently 1 To find out acceptable words, 1 And a correct writing, even words of truth. 1
11The words of the wise are as goads, 1 And as nails firmly fastened, 1 Which have been given from one shepherd by agreement. 1
12And moreover, my son, guard thyself by means of them: 1 Of making many books there is no end; 1 And much study is a weariness of the flesh. 1
13Hear the end of the matter, the sum: 1 Fear God, and keep his commandments: 1 For this is the whole man. 1
14For God will bring every work into judgment, 1 With everything that has been overlooked, 1 Whether it be good, or whether it be evil.