Remember Your Creator in Your Youth

1Remember also thy Creator in the days of thy youth, or ever the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; 2or ever the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, be darkened, and the clouds return after the rain: 3in 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, 4and the door shall be shut in the street; when the sound of the grinding is low, and one shall rise up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low; 5yea, they shall be afraid of that which is high, and terrors shall be in the way; and the almond tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and the caper-berry shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets: 6or 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; 7and the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return unto God who gave it. 8Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; all is vanity.

The Fear of God is Utmost

9And further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he pondered, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs. 10The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written uprightly, even words of truth.

11The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails well fastened are the words of the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. 12And furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

13This is the end of the matter; all hath been heard: fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. 14For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.