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Remember
God in Your Youth |
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| Ecclesiastes 12:1 |
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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 delight in them"; |
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| Ecclesiastes 12:2 |
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before the sun and the light, the moon and the
stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain; |
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| Ecclesiastes 12:3 |
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in the day that the watchmen of the house tremble,
and mighty men stoop, the grinding ones stand idle because they are few, and those
who look through windows grow dim; |
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| Ecclesiastes 12:4 |
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and the doors on the street are shut as the
sound of the grinding mill is low, and one will arise at the sound of the bird,
and all the daughters of song will sing softly. |
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| Ecclesiastes 12:5 |
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Furthermore, men are afraid of a high place
and of terrors on the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags himself
along, and the caperberry is ineffective. For man goes to his eternal home while
mourners go about in the street. |
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| Ecclesiastes 12:6 |
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Remember Him before the silver cord is broken
and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel
at the cistern is crushed; |
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| Ecclesiastes 12:7 |
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then the dust will return to the earth as it
was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. |
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| Ecclesiastes 12:8 |
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"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "all
is vanity!" |
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Purpose of the Preacher |
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| Ecclesiastes 12:9 |
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In addition to being a wise man, the Preacher
also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out and arranged many
proverbs. |
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| Ecclesiastes 12:10 |
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The Preacher sought to find delightful words
and to write words of truth correctly. |
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| Ecclesiastes 12:11 |
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The words of wise men are like goads, and masters
of these collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd. |
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| Ecclesiastes 12:12 |
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But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing
of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body. |
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| Ecclesiastes 12:13 |
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The conclusion, when all has been heard, is:
fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. |
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| Ecclesiastes 12:14 |
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For God will bring every act to judgment, everything
which is hidden, whether it is good or evil. |
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