Ecclesiastes.
The Harvard Classics. 1909–14. |
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| XII |
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| [1] | REMEMBER also thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; |
| [2] | before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, are darkened, and 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 1 cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows shall be darkened, |
| [4] | and the doors shall be shut in the street; when the sound of the grinding is low, and one shall rise up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low; |
| [5] | yea, they shall be afraid of 2 that which is high, and terrors shall be in the way; and the almond-tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall 3 be a burden, and desire 4 shall fail; 5 because man goeth to his everlasting home, and the mourners go about the streets: |
| [6] | before the silver cord is loosed, 6 or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, |
| [7] | and the dust returneth to the earth as it was, and the spirit returneth unto God who gave it. |
| [8] | Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; all is vanity. |
| [9] | And further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he pondered, 7 and sought out, and set in order many proverbs. |
| [10] | The Preacher sought to find out acceptable 8 words, and that which was written uprightly, even words of truth. |
| [11] | The words of the wise are as goads; and as nails well fastened are the words of the masters 9 of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. |
| [12] | And 10 furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. |
| [13] | This 11 is the end of the matter; all hath been heard: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this 12 is the whole duty of man. |
| [14] | For God will bring every work into judgment, with 13 every hidden thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. |
| | | Note 1. Or, grinding women. [back] |
| Note 2. Or, of danger from on high. [back] |
| Note 3. Or, shall drag itself along. [back] |
| Note 4. Or, the caperberry. [back] |
| Note 5. Or, burst. [back] |
| Note 6. Or, snapped asunder. [back] |
| Note 7. Or, gave ear. [back] |
| Note 8. Heb. words of delight. [back] |
| Note 9. Or, collectors of sentences. [back] |
| Note 10. Or, And as for more than these, my son, be warned. [back] |
| Note 11. Or, Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. [back] |
| Note 12. Or, this is the duty of all men. [back] |
| Note 13. Or, concerning. [back] |
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