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12:1  Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come And the years approach of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”;
12:2  Before the sun is darkened and the light and the moon and the stars and the clouds return after the rain;
12:3  When the guardians of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent; When the women who grind are idle because they are few, and those who look through the windows grow blind;
12:4  When the doors to the street are shut, and the sound of the mill is low; When one rises at the call of a bird, and all the daughters of song are quiet;
12:5  When one is afraid of heights, and perils in the street; When the almond tree blooms, and the locust grows sluggish and the caper berry is without effect, Because mortals go to their lasting home, and mourners go about the streets;
12:6  Before the silver cord is snapped and the golden bowl is broken, And the pitcher is shattered at the spring, and the pulley is broken at the well,
12:7  And the dust returns to the earth as it once was, and the life breath returns to God who gave it.
12:8  Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, all things are vanity!
12:9  Besides being wise, Qoheleth taught the people knowledge, and weighed, scrutinized and arranged many proverbs.
12:10  Qoheleth sought to find appropriate sayings, and to write down true sayings with precision.
12:11  The sayings of the wise are like goads; like fixed spikes are the collected sayings given by one shepherd.
12:12  As to more than these, my son, beware. Of the making of many books there is no end, and in much study there is weariness for the flesh.
12:13  The last word, when all is heard: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this concerns all humankind;