1 ADeut 8:18; Neh 4:14; Ps 63:6; 119:55Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the BEccl 11:8evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no delight in them”; 2 before the AIs 5:30; 13:10; Ezek 32:7, 8; Joel 3:15; Matt 24:29sun and the light, the moon and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain; 3 in the day that the watchmen of the house tremble, and mighty men APs 35:14; 38:6stoop, the grinding ones stand idle because they are few, and BGen 27:1; 48:10; 1 Sam 3:2those who look through 1Or holeswindows grow dim; 4 and the doors on the street are shut as the AJer 25:10; Rev 18:22sound of the grinding mill is low, and one will arise at the sound of the bird, and all the B2 Sam 19:35daughters of song will 1Lit be brought lowsing softly. 5 Furthermore, 1Lit theymen are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags himself along, and the caperberry is ineffective. For man goes to his eternal AJob 17:13; 30:23home while BGen 50:10; Jer 9:17mourners go about in the street. 6 Remember Him before the silver cord is 1So with Gr; Heb removedbroken and the AZech 4:2, 3golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; 7 then the AGen 3:19; Job 34:15; Ps 104:29; Eccl 3:20dust will return to the earth as it was, and the 1Or breathBJob 34:14; Eccl 3:21; Luke 23:46; Acts 7:59spirit will return to CNum 16:22; 27:16; Is 57:16; Zech 12:1God who gave it. 8 “AEccl 1:2Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “all is vanity!”

9 In addition to being a wise man, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out and arranged A1 Kin 4:32many proverbs. 10 The Preacher sought to find AProv 10:32delightful words and to write BProv 22:20, 21words of truth correctly.

11 The AProv 1:6; 22:17; Eccl 7:5; 10:12words of wise men are like BActs 2:37goads, and masters of these collections are like 1Lit plantedwell-driven CEzra 9:8; Is 22:23nails; they are given by one Shepherd. 12 But beyond this, my son, be warned: the 1Lit makingwriting of A1 Kin 4:32many books is endless, and excessive BEccl 1:18devotion to books is wearying to the body.

13 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: AEccl 3:14; 5:7; 7:18; 8:12fear God and BDeut 4:2; Eccl 8:5keep His commandments, because this applies to CDeut 10:12; Mic 6:8every person. 14 For AEccl 3:17; 11:9; Matt 10:26; Rom 2:16; 1 Cor 4:5God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.