Ecclesiastes 12 :: Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Remember God in Your Youth

Ecc 12:1Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when you will say, "I have no pleasure in them";

Ecc 12:2

Ecc 12:2before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain;

Ecc 12:3

Ecc 12:3in 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 that look through the windows are dimmed,

Ecc 12:4

Ecc 12:4and the doors on the street are shut; when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low;

Ecc 12:5

Ecc 12:5they 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 goes to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets;

Ecc 12:6

Ecc 12:6before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern,

Ecc 12:7

Ecc 12:7and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

Ecc 12:8

Ecc 12:8Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity.

Purpose of the Preacher

Ecc 12:9

Ecc 12:9Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging proverbs with great care.

Ecc 12:10

Ecc 12:10The Preacher sought to find pleasing words, and uprightly he wrote words of truth.

Ecc 12:11

Ecc 12:11The sayings of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings which are given by one Shepherd.

Ecc 12:12

Ecc 12:12My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

Ecc 12:13

Ecc 12:13The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.

Ecc 12:14

Ecc 12:14For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

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Source: Transcribed from: The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version containing the Old and New Testaments, translated from the original tongues: being the version set forth A.D. 1611, revised A.D. 1881-1885 and A.D. 1901: compared with the most ancient authorities and revised A.D. 1946-52. — 2nd ed. of New Testament A.D. 1971. There should be enough in the rest of the description to identify the text.

Language: English

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Ecclesiastes 12 :: Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Remember God in Your Youth

Purpose of the Preacher

Pericope