Scriptures
Ecclesiastes 12


Chapter 12

At death the spirit will return to God who gave it—The words of the wise are as goads—The whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments.

1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy ayouth, while the bevil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:

3 In 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 be darkened,

4 And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;

5 Also when they shall 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 desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long ahome, and the mourners go about the streets:

6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.

7 Then shall the adust return to the earth as it was: and the bspirit shall return unto God who cgave it.

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

9 And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

10 The preacher sought to find out aacceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.

11 The words of the wise are as agoads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.

12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much astudy is a weariness of the flesh.

13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: aFear God, and bkeep his commandments: for this is the whole cduty of man.

14 For God shall bring every awork into bjudgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.