Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the
evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I
have no pleasure in them”; before the sun and the light and the
moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the
rain, in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the
strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few,
and those who look through the windows are dimmed, and the doors on
the street are shut—when the sound of the grinding is low, and one
rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are
brought low—they are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are
in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself
along, and desire fails, because man is going to his eternal home,
and the mourners go about the streets—before the silver cord is
snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered
at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, and the dust
returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who
gave it. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity.
Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people
knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with
great care. The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and
uprightly he wrote words of truth.
The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed
are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. My son,
beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no
end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his
commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring
every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or
evil.
