CHAPTER 12
1 Have thou mind on thy Creator* 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.
2 Before that the sun be dark, and the light, and stars, and the moon; and the clouds turn again after rain.
3 When the doorkeepers of the house shall be moved, and [the] strongest men shall tremble; and [the] grinders shall be idle, when the number shall be made less, and seers by the holes shall wax dark;
4 and shall close the doors in the street, in the lowness of [the] voice of a grinder; and they shall rise at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of song shall wax deaf.
5 And high things shall dread, and shall be afeared in the way; and an almond tree shall flower, a locust shall be made fat, and capers shall be destroyed; for a man shall go into the house of his everlastingness, and wailers shall go about in the street.
6 Have thou mind on thy Creator, before that a silveren rope be broken, and a golden lace run against, and a water pot be all-broken on the well, and a wheel be broken altogether on the cistern;
7 and dust turn again into his earth, whereof it was, and the spirit turn again to God, that gave it.
8 The vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, the vanity of vanities, and all things be vanity. [Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, vanity of vanities, and all things vanity.]
9 And when Ecclesiastes was most wise, he taught the people, and he told out the things which he did, and he sought out wisdom, and made many parables;
10 he sought profitable words, and he wrote most rightful [or right] words, and full of truth.
11 The words of wise men be as pricks, and as nails fastened deep, which be given of one shepherd by the counsels of masters.
12 My son, seek thou no more than these; none end there is to make many books, and oft thinking is torment of [the] flesh.
13 All we hear together the end of speaking. Dread thou God, and keep his behests; that is to know, every man.
14 God shall bring all things into doom, that be done; for each thing covered, either privy, whether it be good, or evil.
* CHAPTER 12:1 The Hebrew for ‘thy creator’ sounds much like the Hebrew for ‘thy grave’. (Good News Bible)