Ecclesiastes 12 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition (NRSVACE)

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 on the day when the guards of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the women who grind cease working because they are few, and those who look through the windows see dimly; 4 when the doors on the street are shut, and the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low; 5 when one is afraid of heights, and terrors are in the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along[b] and desire fails; because all must go to their eternal home, and the mourners will go about the streets; 6 before the silver cord is snapped,[c] and the golden bowl is broken, and the pitcher is broken at the fountain, and the wheel broken at the cistern, 7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the breath[d] returns to God who gave it. 8 Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher;[e] all is vanity.

Epilogue

9 Besides being wise, the Teacher[f] also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs. 10 The Teacher[g] sought to find pleasing words, and he wrote words of truth plainly.

11 The sayings of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings that are given by one shepherd.[h] 12 Of anything beyond these, my child, beware. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for that is the whole duty of everyone. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgement, including[i] every secret thing, whether good or evil.

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 12:2 Or after; Heb ‘ahar
  2. Ecclesiastes 12:5 Or is a burden
  3. Ecclesiastes 12:6 Syr Vg Compare Gk: Heb is removed
  4. Ecclesiastes 12:7 Or the spirit
  5. Ecclesiastes 12:8 Qoheleth, traditionally rendered Preacher
  6. Ecclesiastes 12:9 Qoheleth, traditionally rendered Preacher
  7. Ecclesiastes 12:10 Qoheleth, traditionally rendered Preacher
  8. Ecclesiastes 12:11 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  9. Ecclesiastes 12:14 Or into the judgement on

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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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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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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)

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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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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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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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