Ecclesiastes12

Ecclesiastes 12 urges individuals to remember their Creator in their youth before the inevitable decline of old age and death. The chapter vividly describes the physical decay associated with aging, culminating in the body returning to dust and the spirit to God. The Preacher then concludes his discourse by stating that the whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments, for all actions will be brought into judgment.

Remember Your Creator in Your Youth

1
Remember nowe thy Creator in the daies of thy youth, whiles the euill daies come not, nor the yeeres approche, wherein thou shalt say, I haue no pleasure in them:
2
Whiles the sunne is not darke, nor ye light, nor the moone, nor the starres, nor the cloudes returne after the raine:
3
When the keepers of ye house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow them selues, and the grinders shall cease, because they are few, and they waxe darke that looke out by ye windowes:
4
And the doores shall be shut without by the base sound of the grinding, and he shall rise vp at the voice of the birde: and all the daughters of singing shall be abased.
5
Also they shalbe afraide of the hie thing, and feare shalbe in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grassehopper shall be a burden, and concupiscence shall be driuen away: for man goeth to the house of his age, and the mourners goe about in the streete.
6
Whiles the siluer coarde is not lengthened, nor the golden ewer broken, nor the pitcher broken at the well, nor the wheele broken at the cisterne:
7
And dust returne to the earth as it was, and the spirit returne to God that gaue it.
8
Vanitie of vanities, saieth the Preacher, all is vanitie.

The Preacher's Wisdom and Teaching

9
And the more wise the Preacher was, the more he taught the people knowledge, and caused them to heare, and searched foorth, and prepared many parables.
10
The Preacher sought to finde out pleasant wordes, and an vpright writing, euen the wordes of trueth.
11
The wordes of the wise are like goads, and like nailes fastened by the masters of the assemblies, which are giuen by one pastour.

A Word of Caution

12
And of other things beside these, my sone, take thou heede: for there is none ende in making many bookes, and much reading is a wearines of the flesh.

The Whole Duty of Man

13
Let vs heare the end of all: feare God and keepe his commandements: for this is the whole duetie of man.
14
For God will bring euery worke vnto iudgement, with euery secret thing, whether it be good or euill.
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