The Twilight of Life

¹So remember your Creator in the days of your youth:

Before the days of adversity come,

and the years approach when you will say,

‘I have no delight in them’;

²before the sun and the light are darkened,[#12:2 Is 5:30; Ezk 32:7–8]

and the moon and the stars,

and the clouds return after the rain;

³on the day when the guardians of the house tremble,

and the strong men stoop,

the women who grind grain cease because they are few,

and the ones who watch through the windows see dimly,

⁴the doors at the street are shut

while the sound of the mill fades;

when one rises at the sound of a bird,

and all the daughters of song grow faint.

⁵Also, they are afraid of heights and dangers on the road;

the almond tree blossoms,

the grasshopper loses its spring,

and the caperberry has no effect;

for the mere mortal is headed to his eternal home,

and mourners will walk around in the street;

⁶before the silver cord is snapped,[#12:6 Alt Hb tradition reads removed]

and the gold bowl is broken,

and the jar is shattered at the spring,

and the wheel is broken into the well;

⁷and the dust returns to the earth as it once was,

and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

⁸‘Absolute futility,’ says the Teacher. ‘Everything is futile.’[#12:8 Ec 1:2]

The Teacher’s Objectives and Conclusion

⁹In addition to the Teacher being a wise man, he constantly taught the people knowledge; he weighed, explored, and arranged many proverbs.[#12:9 1Kg 4:32; Pr 1:1]

¹⁰The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and write words of truth accurately.

¹¹The sayings of the wise are like cattle prods, and those from masters of collections are like firmly embedded nails. The sayings are given by one Shepherd.[#12:11 Pr 1:6; 22:17; #12:11 Ezr 9:8; Is 22:23; #12:11 Or by a shepherd]

¹²But beyond these, my son, be warned: there is no end to the making of many books, and much study wearies the body.[#12:12 1Kg 4:32–33; Jn 21:25; #12:12 Ec 1:18]

¹³When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: fear God and keep his commands, because this is for all humanity.[#12:13 Pr 1:7; Ec 3:14; 5:7; 7:18; 8:12–13; #12:13 Or is the whole duty of; #12:13 Ps 97:5; Ac 4:12; Rm 10:12]

¹⁴For God will bring every act to judgement, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil.[#12:14 Ec 3:17; 11:9; Rv 20:12]