Ecclesiastes

Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

1Remember your Creator now, while you are young. Do it before the hard days come, and before the years arrive when you say, "I get no pleasure out of these."

2While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:

2Do it before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars go dark for you, and before the clouds come back after the rain.

3In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,

3That is the day when the guards of the house shake, and the strong men stoop over. The women grinding grain stop, because only a few are left. The ones looking out the windows can no longer see clearly.

NoteVerses 3-6 picture old age as a large household and its tools slowly wearing down and breaking: shaky guards, stooping workers, grinders that stop, and a jar smashed at the well.

4And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;

4The doors to the street are shut, and the sound of the grinding mill fades. A person wakes at the first call of a bird, and all the singing voices grow faint.

5Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:

5People become afraid of high places, and afraid of dangers along the road. The almond tree turns white with blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and desire fades away. For a person is going to his forever home, and mourners walk up and down the streets.

6Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.

6Remember him before the silver cord snaps and the golden bowl is crushed. Remember him before the water jar breaks at the spring, and the wheel breaks at the well.

7Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

7Then the dust goes back to the ground it came from, and the spirit goes back to God, who gave it.

8Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.

8"Empty, completely empty," says the Teacher. "It is all empty."

Note"Vanity" in the King James Version does not mean being stuck on yourself. The Hebrew word means a breath or a puff of vapor: something thin that does not last.

9And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

9The Teacher was wise, and he also kept teaching the people what he knew. He thought carefully, searched things out, and put many proverbs in order.

10The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.

10The Teacher looked hard for the right words to use. What he wrote down was honest, and it was true.

11The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.

11The words of wise people are like sharp sticks that keep you moving. Collected sayings are like nails hammered in tight. They all come from one shepherd.

NoteA goad was a long pointed stick that farmers used to prod animals and keep them moving in the right direction.

12And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

12Besides all this, my son, take a warning. People keep making books, and it never ends. And too much studying wears your body out.

13Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

13Now everything has been heard. Here is the end of the matter: have deep respect for God and obey his commands. This is the whole duty of every person.

14For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

14God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or bad.