| New King James Version | New Living Translation |
| 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”: | 1Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” |
| 2While the sun and the light, The moon and the stars, Are not darkened, And the clouds do not return after the rain; | 2Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky. |
| 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; | 3Remember him before your legs—the guards of your house—start to tremble; and before your shoulders—the strong men—stoop. Remember him before your teeth—your few remaining servants—stop grinding; and before your eyes—the women looking through the windows—see dimly. |
| 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. | 4Remember him before the door to life’s opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades. Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will grow faint. |
| 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. | 5Remember him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets; before your hair turns white like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caperberry no longer inspires sexual desire. Remember him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral. |
| 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. | 6Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. |
| 7Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it. | 7For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. Concluding Thoughts about the Teacher |
| 8“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “All is vanity.” | 8“Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless.” |
| 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. | 9Keep this in mind: The Teacher was considered wise, and he taught the people everything he knew. He listened carefully to many proverbs, studying and classifying them. |
| 10The Preacher sought to find acceptable words; and what was written was upright—words of truth. | 10The Teacher sought to find just the right words to express truths clearly. |
| 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 cattle prods—painful but helpful. Their collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd drives the sheep. |
| 12And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh. | 12But, my child, let me give you some further advice: Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out. |
| 13Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. | 13That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. |
| 14For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil. | 14God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
|
