The Tanakh · JPS 1917 Translation

Ecclesiastes 12

Jewish Publication Society 1917 · Ketuvim — the Writings

Ecclesiastes chapter 12 — part of the Ketuvim — the Writings in the Jewish Bible. In the classic JPS 1917 translation it opens: “Remember then thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say: 'I have…” — the complete text of all 14 verses is below, free to read online.

1Remember then thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say: 'I have no pleasure in them';

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 shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out shall be darkened in the windows,

4And the doors shall be shut in the street, when the sound of the grinding is low; and one shall start up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;

5Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and terrors shall be in the way; and the almond-tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall drag itself along, and the caperberry shall fail; because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets;

6Before the silver cord is snapped asunder, and the golden bowl is shattered, and the pitcher is broken at the fountain, and the wheel falleth shattered, into the pit;

7And the dust returneth to the earth as it was, and the spirit returneth unto G-d who gave it.

8Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth; all is vanity.

9And besides that Koheleth was wise, he also taught the people knowledge; yea, he pondered, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

10Koheleth sought to find out words of delight, and that which was written uprightly, even words of truth.

11The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails well fastened are those that are composed in collections; they are given from one shepherd.

12And furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

13The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear G-d, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole man.

14For G-d shall bring every work into the judgment concerning every hidden thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.

14 verses · JPS 1917 (public domain)

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