1. Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, while the evil days do not come, nor the years draw near, when you shall say, I have no pleasure in them.
2. So long as the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, are darkened, or the clouds return after rain,
3. in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men are bowed, and the grinders cease because there are few, and those who look out of the windows are darkened,
4. and the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and you shall rise up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music are silenced;
5. also they are afraid of the high place, and terrors along the way, and the almond tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail; because man goes to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets;
6. or ever the silver cord is not loosed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken 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 by the upright.
11. The words of the wise are like goads; yes, their collected words are like nails driven home; they are given from one Shepherd.
12. And further, by these, my son, be warned: The making of many books has no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
13. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God, and keep His commandments. For this is the whole duty of man.
14. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it is good, or whether evil.