Ecclesiastes 12 - Good News Translation (GNT)

12 So remember your Creator[a] while you are still young, before those dismal days and years come when you will say, “I don't enjoy life.” 2 That is when the light of the sun, the moon, and the stars will grow dim for you, and the rain clouds will never pass away. 3 Then your arms, that have protected you, will tremble, and your legs, now strong, will grow weak. Your teeth will be too few to chew your food, and your eyes too dim to see clearly. 4 Your ears will be deaf to the noise of the street. You will barely be able to hear the mill as it grinds or music as it plays, but even the song of a bird will wake you from sleep. 5 You will be afraid of high places, and walking will be dangerous. Your hair will turn white; you will hardly be able to drag yourself along, and all desire will be gone.

We are going to our final resting place, and then there will be mourning in the streets. 6 The silver chain will snap, and the golden lamp will fall and break; the rope at the well will break, and the water jar will be shattered. 7 Our bodies will return to the dust of the earth, and the breath of life will go back to God, who gave it to us.

8 Useless, useless, said the Philosopher. It is all useless.

The Summing Up

9 But because the Philosopher was wise, he kept on teaching the people what he knew. He studied proverbs and honestly tested their truth. 10 The Philosopher tried to find comforting words, but the words he wrote were honest. 11 The sayings of the wise are like the sharp sticks that shepherds use to guide sheep, and collected proverbs are as lasting as firmly driven nails. They have been given by God, the one Shepherd of us all.

12 My child, there is something else to watch out for. There is no end to the writing of books, and too much study will wear you out.

13 After all this, there is only one thing to say: Have reverence for God, and obey his commands, because this is all that we were created for. 14 God is going to judge everything we do, whether good or bad, even things done in secret.

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 12:1 The Hebrew expression for your Creator sounds like the Hebrew for your grave.

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Ecclesiastes 12 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

12 Remember also thy Creators in days of thy youth, While that the evil days come not, Nor the years have arrived, that thou sayest, `I have no pleasure in them.' 2 While that the sun is not darkened, and the light, And the moon, and the stars, And the thick clouds returned after the rain. 3 In the ...
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Ecclesiastes 12 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

12 Have thou mind on thy Creator[a] in the days of thy youth, before that the time of thy torment come, and the years of thy death nigh, of which thou shalt say, Those please not me. (Think thou upon thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before that the time of thy torment come, and the years of thy...
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Ecclesiastes 12 - World English Bible (WEB)

12 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days 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 are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain;3 in the day when the keepers of the ho...
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Ecclesiastes 12 - The Voice (VOICE)

12 Teacher: And so we come to the end of this musing over life. My advice to you is to remember your Creator, God, while you are young: before life gets hard and the injustice of old age comes upon you—before the years arrive when pleasure feels far out of reach— 2 before the sun and light and the m...
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Ecclesiastes 12 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Ode for the Aging12 So remember your Creator in the days of your youth:before the days of misery come, and years draw near when you will say: “I have no pleasure in them”—2 before the sun and light and moonand the stars grow dark,and the clouds dissipate after the rain,3 in the day the keepers of th...
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Ecclesiastes 12 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

12 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when you will 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 o...
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Ecclesiastes 12 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

12 Remember your creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years draw near when you will 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 with[a] the rain; 3 in the day when the guards of ...
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Ecclesiastes 12 - New Living Translation (NLT)

12 Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” 2 Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky. 3 Remember him...
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Ecclesiastes 12 - New Life Version (NLV)

12 Remember also your Maker while you are young, before the days of trouble come and the years when you will say, “I have no joy in them,” 2 before the sun, the light, the moon and the stars are made dark, and clouds return after the rain. 3 This will be the day when the men who watch the house sh...
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Ecclesiastes 12 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Seek God in Early Life12 Remember(A) now your Creator in the days of your youth,Before the [a]difficult days come,And the years draw near (B)when you say,“I have no pleasure in them”:2 While the sun and the light,The moon and the stars,Are not darkened,And the clouds do not return after the rain;3 I...
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Ecclesiastes 12 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

12 Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, ‘I find no pleasure in them’–2 before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain;3 when the keepers of the house tremble,...
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Ecclesiastes 12 - New International Version (NIV)

12 Remember(A) your Creator in the days of your youth,before the days of trouble(B) come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them”—2 before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain;3 when the keepers of the house tr...
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Ecclesiastes 12 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

12 Remember your Creator. Remember him while you are still young.Think about him before your times of trouble come. The years will come when you will say, “I don’t find any pleasure in them.”2 That’s when the sunlight will become dark. The moon and the stars will also grow dark. And the clouds will ...
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