|
Chapter 12 |
| 1 |
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come
not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in
them; |
| 2 | While the sun, or
the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return
after the rain: |
| 3 | In the
day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow
themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look
out of the windows be darkened, |
| 4
| And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the
grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the
daughters of musick shall be brought low; |
| 5 | Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and
fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the
grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his
long home, and the mourners go about the streets: |
|
6 | Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden
bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken
at the cistern. |
| 7 | Then
shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto
God who gave it. |
| 8 | Vanity
of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity. |
|
9 | And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still
taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in
order many proverbs. |
| 10 |
The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written
was upright, even words of truth. |
|
11 | The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the
masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. |
| 12 | And further, by these, my son, be
admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness
of the flesh. |
| 13 | Let us
hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments:
for this is the whole duty of man. |
|
14 | For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret
thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. |
