Ecclesiastes 12
Remember God while You’re Young
Remember your Creator while you’re still young—before the days of misery come and you say,
“I don’t enjoy being alive anymore.”
In those days, the sun, moon, stars, and all their light will grow dim. The clouds will return after the rain. The protectors of the house [hands] will tremble. The strong men will be bent over. The grinding ones [teeth] will stop because there will only be a few of them left. The ones who look through the windows [eyes] will grow dim. The doors on the street will be closed. The sound of the grinding mill will become faint, yet you’ll wake up at the sound of a bird. The volume of all the singers will be lowered. And you’ll be scared of heights and of terrors on the road. The almond tree will blossom, the grasshopper will drag himself along, and desire-stimulating berries will be ineffective. The earthling goes to its eternal home while everyone else cries in the streets.
Remember God before the silver cord is cut, the golden bowl is crushed, the jug by the well is shattered, and the waterwheel at the reservoir is crushed. Then the dust will return to the earth it came from, and the spirit/breath will return to God who lended it out.
Conclusion: Fear God
The preacher concluded,
“Vapor of vapors—everything is vapor!”
Not only was the preacher wise, but he also taught others what he knew. He analyzed, searched out, and arranged many proverbs. He collected sayings that were satisfying, and tried to record truthful ones as accurately as possible.
The sayings of wise people are like spikey sticks used for herding cattle. People who own collections of wise sayings are like well-placed nails installed by one Shepherd. But be warned, my son: there’s no end to writing books, and studying them tires the flesh.
After hearing all this, the conclusion is to be afraid of God and follow His code of wisdom, because it applies to all of humanity. God will take every action to court, including everything done in secret—whether good or evil.