The Twilight of Life
1So remember your Creator in the days of your youth:
Before the days of adversity come,
and the years approach when you will say,12:1 Ec 11:8
“I have no delight in them”;
2before the sun and the light are darkened,12:2 Is 5:30; Ezk 32:7–8
and the moon and the stars,
and the clouds return after12:2 Or with the rain;
3on the day when the guardians of the house tremble,
and the strong men stoop,
the women who grind grain cease because they are few,
4the doors at the street are shut
when one rises at the sound of a bird,
and all the daughters of song grow faint.
5Also, they are afraid of heights and dangers on the road;
the almond tree blossoms,
the grasshopper loses its spring,12:5 Or grasshopper is weighed down, or grasshopper drags itself along
and the caper berry has no effect;
and mourners will walk around in the street;12:5 Jr 9:17
6before the silver cord is snapped,12:6 Alt Hb tradition reads removed
and the gold bowl is broken,12:6 Zch 4:2–3
and the jar is shattered at the spring,
and the wheel is broken into the well;
7and the dust returns to the earth as it once was,
The Teacher’s Objectives and Conclusion
9In addition to the Teacher being a wise man, he constantly taught the people knowledge; he weighed, explored, and arranged many proverbs.12:9 1Kg 4:32; Pr 1:1
10The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and write words of truth accurately.
12But beyond these, my son, be warned: there is no end to the making of many books,12:12 1Kg 4:32–33; Jn 21:25 and much study wearies the body.12:12 Ec 1:18
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