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

And remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, of which thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

2 b efore the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain:

before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, be darkened, and the clouds return after the rain;

3 I n 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 are darkened;

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

4 a nd the doors outside shall be shut because the voice of the grinder is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird and all the daughters of song shall be humbled;

and the doors are shut toward the street; when the sound of the grinding is subdued, and they rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low;

5 w hen they shall also 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 appetite shall fail: because man goes to the home of his age, and the mourners shall go about the streets;

they are also afraid of what is high, and terrors are in the way, and the almond is despised, and the grasshopper is a burden, and the caper-berry is without effect; (for man goeth to his age-long home, and the mourners go about the streets;)

6 b efore the silver chain is broken, and the golden bowl is broken, and the pitcher is broken at the fountain, and the wheel is broken at the cistern;

—before the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be shattered at the fountain, or the wheel be broken at the cistern;

7 a nd the dust returns to the earth as it was before and the spirit returns unto God who gave it.

and the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return unto God who gave it.

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

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher: all is vanity.

9 A nd the wiser the preacher became that much more did he teach wisdom to the people, causing them to listen and to search things out, and he composed many proverbs.

And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, and sought out, set in order many proverbs.

10 T he preacher sought to find willing words and upright writings, even words of truth.

The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words; and that which was written is upright, words of truth.

11 T he words of the wise are as goads and as nails hammered into place, those of the teachers of the congregations, who are placed under one Shepherd.

The words of the wise are as goads, and the collections as nails fastened in: they are given from one shepherd.

12 M y son, in addition to this, be admonished: of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

And besides, my son, be warned by them: of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

13 ¶ The conclusion of the entire sermon is heard: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole happiness of man.

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

14 F or God shall bring every work to judgment with every secret thing, whether it is good or whether it is evil.

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