1 Remember 2 Chr. 34:3; Prov. 22:6; Lam. 3:27 now your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the difficult days come, And the years draw near 2 Sam. 19:35 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 In the day when the keepers of the house tremble, And the strong men bow down; When the grinders cease because they are few, And those that look through the windows grow dim;
4 When the doors are shut in the streets, And the sound of grinding is low; When one rises up at the sound of a bird, And all 2 Sam. 19:35 the daughters of music are brought low.
5 Also they are afraid of height, And of terrors in the way; When the almond tree blossoms, The grasshopper is a burden, And desire fails. For man goes to Job 17:13 his eternal home, And Gen. 50:10; Jer. 9:17 the mourners go about the streets.
6 Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, Or the golden bowl is broken, Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, Or the wheel broken at the well.
7 Gen. 3:19; Job 34:15; Ps. 90:3 Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, Eccl. 3:21 And the spirit will return to God Num. 16:22; 27:16; Job 34:14; Is. 57:16; Zech. 12:1 who gave it.
8 “Vanity Ps. 62:9 of vanities,” says the Preacher, “All is vanity.”
9 The Whole Duty of Man And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes, he pondered and sought out and 1 Kin. 4:32 set in order many proverbs.
10 The Preacher sought to find acceptable words; and what was written was upright—words of truth.
11 The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd.
12 And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and Eccl. 1:18 much study is wearisome to the flesh.
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: (Deut. 6:2; 10:12); Mic. 6:8 Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.
14 For Eccl. 11:9; Matt. 12:36; (Acts 17:30, 31; Rom. 2:16;1 Cor. 4:5;2 Cor. 5:10) God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.