“1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil
days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no
pleasure in them; 2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the
stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain: 3 In the
day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men
shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and
those that look out of the windows be darkened, 4 And the doors shall be
shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall
rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall
be brought low; 5 Also [when] they shall be afraid of [that which is]
high, and fears [shall be] in the way, and the almond tree shall
flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail:
because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the
streets: 6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be
broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at
the cistern. 7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and
the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”
“8 Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all [is] vanity. 9 And
moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people
knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, [and] set in order
many proverbs. 10 The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and
[that which was] written [was] upright, [even] words of truth. 11 The
words of the wise [are] as goads, and as nails fastened [by] the masters
of assemblies, [which] are given from one shepherd. 12 And further, by
these, my son, be admonished: of making many books [there is] no end;
and much study [is] a weariness of the flesh.”
“13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep
his commandments: for this [is] the whole [duty] of man. 14 For God
shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether
[it be] good, or whether [it be] evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:1-14 AV)