Ecclesiastes 12

KJ3 Literal Translation — Chapter 12 of 12

1 Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, until the evil days do not come, or the years reach when you shall say, There is no pleasure in them for me;

2 until not yet the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, are darkened, and the clouds return after rain;

3 in the day when those keeping the house shall tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the ones grinding cease because they are few; and those looking out the windows become dim.

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Chapter Summary

The Creator is to be remembered in due time. The fear of Jehovah is the antidote of vanity.

Key Hebrew Words

בָּרָא Creator H1254 · TWOT 278
יָרֵא fear H3372 · TWOT 907
מִשְׁפָּט judgment H4941 · TWOT 2443c
מִצְוָה commandment H4687 · TWOT 1887b
הֶ֫בֶל vanity, vapor H1892 · TWOT 463a
רוּחַ spirit H7307 · TWOT 2131a

Cross-References

People & Context

God

the Creator to be remembered; the One who gave the spirit, to be feared, and who brings every work into judgment

The Preacher

Qoheleth, who taught the people knowledge and sought out and set in order many proverbs

One Shepherd

the single source from whom the goad-like words of the wise are given

Timeline

Remembering the Creator Before Old Age

One must remember their Creator in the days of their youth before the difficult evil days of old age arrive and the deterioration of the body begins.

Ecclesiastes 12:1-5
The Finality of Death

Death firmly arrives when the silver cord is removed or the golden bowl is crushed. The dust returns to the earth and the spirit returns to God.

Ecclesiastes 12:6-8
The Value of the Preacher's Words

The wise Preacher sought out and carefully arranged truthful proverbs to teach the people knowledge, acting like goads and driven nails given by one Shepherd.

Ecclesiastes 12:9-12

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Word-for-word literal translation with Hebrew interlinear, Strong's numbers, and audio.

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