Ecclesiastes or Preacher 12 Youth Must Prepare for Old Age and Death

 Ecclesiastes or Preacher 12

Youth Must Prepare for Old Age and Death

1 Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come, the years draw near when you will say, "I have no pleasure in them."

2 Before the sun and the light, the moon and the stars, are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain.

3 In the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the mighty men bow down, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look out of the windows are darkened.

4 And the two street doors are shut because of the low sound of the grinding, and it is raised at the voice of the birds, and all the voices of song are hushed.

5 And when they fear what is on high, and terrors are in the way, and the almond tree blossoms, and the locust is a burden, and appetite fails; for man goes to his eternal home, and mourners go about in the street;

6 Before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the fountain, or the wheel is broken at the well,

7 Then the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

8 Vanity of vanity, says the preacher; all is vanity.

9 And the wiser the preacher was, the more wisdom he taught the people; he considered, and searched, and composed many proverbs.