1. Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, while the evil days do not come, or the years strike when you shall say, I have no pleasure in them;
2. while not yet the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, are darkened, or the clouds return after rain;
3. in the day when those keeping the house shall tremble, and the strong men are bowed, and the grinders cease because they are few; and those looking out the windows are darkened;
4. and the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the mill is low, and one rises up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music are silenced;
5. also they shall be afraid of a high place, and terrors in the way; and the almond tree shall blossom, and the locust makes himself a burden; and desire breaks, because man goes to his eternal home, and the mourners go about in the street;
6. while the silver cord is not yet loosed, or the golden bowl is crushed, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern;
7. then the dust shall return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return to God who gave it.
8. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, all is vanity.
9. And more than that, the Preacher was wise; he still taught the people knowledge. Yes, he listened, and looked, and set in order many proverbs.
10. The Preacher sought to find out pleasing words, and words of truth written on uprightness.
11. The words of the wise are as goads; yea, as nails driven by the masters of collections, they are given from one Shepherd.
12. And more than these, my son, be warned: The making of many books has no end, and much study is the weariness of the flesh.
13. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments; for this applies to every man.
14. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with all that is hidden, whether it is good, or whether it is evil.