| English Standard Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1Remember 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”; | 1Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, "I have no delight in them"; |
| 2before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, | 2before the sun and the light, the moon and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain; |
| 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 who look through the windows are dimmed, | 3in the day that the watchmen of the house tremble, and mighty men stoop, the grinding ones stand idle because they are few, and those who look through windows grow dim; |
| 4and 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— | 4and the doors on the street are shut as the sound of the grinding mill is low, and one will arise at the sound of the bird, and all the daughters of song will sing softly. |
| 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 is going to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets— | 5Furthermore, men 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 home while mourners go about in the street. |
| 6before 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, | 6Remember Him before the silver cord is broken and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; |
| 7and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. | 7then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. |
| 8Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity. | 8"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "all is vanity!" |
| 9Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. | 9In addition to being a wise man, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out and arranged many proverbs. |
| 10The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth. | 10The Preacher sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly. |
| 11The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. | 11The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of these collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd. |
| 12My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. | 12But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body. |
| 13The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. | 13The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. |
| 14For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. | 14For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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