Remember Your Creator

¹ Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,

before the days of adversity come

and the years approach of which you will say,

“I find no pleasure in them,”

² before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is darkened,

and the clouds return after the rain,

³ on the day the keepers of the house tremble

and the strong^* men stoop,

when those grinding cease because they are few

and those watching through windows^* see dimly,^*

⁴ when the doors to the street are shut

and the sound of the mill fades away,^*

when one rises at the sound of a bird

and all the daughters of song grow faint,^*

⁵ when men fear the heights and dangers of the road,

when the almond tree blossoms,^*

the grasshopper loses its spring,

and the caper berry^* shrivels —

for then man goes to his eternal home

and mourners walk the streets.

⁶ Remember Him before the silver cord is snapped

and the golden bowl is crushed,^*

before the pitcher is shattered at the spring

and the wheel is broken^* at the well,

⁷ before the dust returns to the ground from which it came

and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

⁸ “Futility^* of futilities,”^* says the Teacher.

“Everything^* is futile!”^*

The Whole Duty of Man

⁹ Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also taught the people knowledge; he pondered, searched out, and arranged many proverbs. ¹⁰ The Teacher searched to find delightful^* sayings and to record accurate words of truth.

¹¹ The words of the wise are like goads, and the anthologies of the masters^* are like firmly embedded^* nails driven by a single Shepherd.¹² And by these, my son, be further warned: There is no end to the making of many books, and much study wearies the body.

¹³ When all has been heard,^* the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments,^* because this is the whole duty of man. ¹⁴ For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.