1Remember your Creator now, in the days of your youth. Remember him before the evil days come, and before the years draw near when you will say, "I find no pleasure in them."
2Remember him while the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are not darkened, and while the clouds do not return after the rain.
3In that day the keepers of the house will tremble, and the strong men will bow themselves down. The grinders will stop, because they are few, and those who look out of the windows will grow dark.
4The doors in the streets will be shut, and the sound of the grinding will be low. A man will rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music will be brought low.
5They will be afraid of what is high, and there will be fears in the road. The almond tree will blossom, and the grasshopper will be a burden, and desire will fail. For man goes to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets.
6Remember him before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the fountain, or the wheel is broken at the well.
7Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.
8Vanity of vanities, says the preacher; all is vanity.
9And more than this: because the preacher was wise, he went on teaching the people knowledge. He listened with care, and searched out and set in order many proverbs.
10The preacher looked for pleasing words, and what was written was upright, words of truth.
11The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails driven in by the masters of assemblies. They are given from one shepherd.
12And beyond these, my son, take warning. There is no end to the making of many books, and much study wears out the body.
13Let us hear the end of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
14For God will bring every work into judgment, along with every secret thing, whether it is good or whether it is evil.