| New King James Version | English Standard Version |
| 1Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the difficult days come, And the years draw near when you 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 of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; |
| 2While the sun and the light, The moon and the stars, Are not darkened, And the clouds do not return after the rain; | 2before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, |
| 3In the day when the keepers of the house tremble, And the strong men bow down; When the grinders cease because they are few, And those that look through the windows grow dim; | 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, |
| 4When the doors are shut in the streets, And the sound of grinding is low; When one rises up at the sound of a bird, And all the daughters of music are brought low. | 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— |
| 5Also they are afraid of height, And of terrors in the way; When the almond tree blossoms, The grasshopper is a burden, And desire fails. For man goes to his eternal home, And the mourners go about the streets. | 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— |
| 6Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, Or the golden bowl is broken, Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, Or the wheel broken at the well. | 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, |
| 7Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it. | 7and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. |
| 8“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “All is vanity.” | 8Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity. |
| 9And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes, he pondered and sought out and set in order many proverbs. | 9Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. |
| 10The Preacher sought to find acceptable words; and what was written was upright—words of truth. | 10The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth. |
| 11The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd. | 11The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. |
| 12And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh. | 12My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. |
| 13Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. | 13The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. |
| 14For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil. | 14For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | 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. |
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