Remember Your Creator

¹Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,before the days of adversity comeand the years approach of which you will say,“I find no pleasure in them,”

²before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is darkened,and the clouds return after the rain,

³on the day the keepers of the house trembleand the strong men stoop,when those grinding cease because they are fewand those watching through windows see dimly,

⁴when the doors to the street are shutand the sound of the mill fades away,when one rises at the sound of a birdand all the daughters of song grow faint,

⁵when men fear the heights and dangers of the road,when the almond tree blossoms,the grasshopper loses its spring,and the caper berry shrivels—for then man goes to his eternal homeand mourners walk the streets.

⁶Remember Him before the silver cord is snappedand the golden bowl is crushed,before the pitcher is shattered at the springand the wheel is broken at the well,

⁷before the dust returns to the ground from which it cameand the spirit returns to God who gave it.

⁸“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher.“Everything is futile!”

The Whole Duty of Man

⁹Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also taught the people knowledge; he pondered, searched out, and arranged many proverbs.

¹⁰The Teacher searched to find delightful sayings and to record accurate words of truth.

¹¹The words of the wise are like goads, and the anthologies of the masters are like firmly embedded nails driven by a single Shepherd.

¹²And by these, my son, be further warned: There is no end to the making of many books, and much study wearies the body.

¹³When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man.

¹⁴For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.

The Evil of Oppression

¹Again I looked, and I considered all the oppression taking place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; the power lay in the hands of their oppressors, and there was no comforter.

²So I admired the dead, who had already died, above the living, who are still alive.

³But better than both is he who has not yet existed, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun.

⁴I saw that all labor and success spring from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

⁵The fool folds his handsand consumes his own flesh.

⁶Better one handful with tranquilitythan two handfuls with toil and pursuit of the wind.

⁷Again, I saw futility under the sun.

⁸There is a man all alone, without even a son or brother. And though there is no end to his labor, his eyes are still not content with his wealth: “For whom do I toil and bereave my soul of enjoyment?” This too is futile—a miserable task.

⁹Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.

¹⁰For if one falls down, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to help him up!

¹¹Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone?

¹²And though one may be overpowered, two can resist. Moreover, a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

The Futility of Power

¹³Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take a warning.

¹⁴For the youth has come from the prison to the kingship, though he was born poor in his own kingdom.

¹⁵I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed this second one, the youth who succeeded the king.

¹⁶There is no limit to all the people who were before them. Yet the successor will not be celebrated by those who come even later. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

Death Comes to Good and Bad

¹So I took all this to heart and concluded that the righteous and the wise, as well as their deeds, are in God’s hands. Man does not know what lies ahead, whether love or hate.

²It is the same for all: There is a common fate for the righteous and the wicked, for the good and the bad,for the clean and the unclean, for the one who sacrifices and the one who does not. As it is for the good, so it is for the sinner; as it is for the one who makes a vow, so it is for the one who refuses to take a vow.

³This is an evil in everything that is done under the sun: There is one fate for everyone. Furthermore, the hearts of men are full of evil and madness while they are alive, and afterward they join the dead.

⁴There is hope, however, for anyone who is among the living; for even a live dog is better than a dead lion.

⁵For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, because the memory of them is forgotten.

⁶Their love, their hate, and their envy have already vanished, and they will never again have a share in all that is done under the sun.

Enjoy Your Portion in This Life

⁷Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already approved your works:

⁸Let your garments always be white,and never spare the oil for your head.

⁹Enjoy life with your beloved wife all the days of the fleetinglife that God has given you under the sun—all your fleeting days. For this is your portion in life and in your labor under the sun.

¹⁰Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.

¹¹I saw something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; neither is the bread to the wise, nor the wealth to the intelligent, nor the favor to the skillful. For time and chance happen to all.

¹²For surely no man knows his time: Like fish caught in a cruel net or birds trapped in a snare, so men are ensnared in an evil time that suddenly falls upon them.

Wisdom Is Better than Strength

¹³I have also seen this wisdom under the sun, and it was great to me:

¹⁴There was a small city with few men. A mighty king came against it, surrounded it, and built large siege ramps against it.

¹⁵Now a poor wise man was found in the city, and he saved the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man.

¹⁶And I said, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded.”

¹⁷The calm words of the wise are heededover the shouts of a ruler among fools.

¹⁸Wisdom is better than weapons of war,but one sinner destroys much good.

To Your Name Be the Glory

¹Not to us, O LORD, not to us,but to Your name be the glory,because of Your loving devotion,because of Your faithfulness.

²Why should the nations say,“Where is their God?”

³Our God is in heaven;He does as He pleases.

⁴Their idols are silver and gold,made by the hands of men.

⁵They have mouths, but cannot speak;they have eyes, but cannot see;

⁶they have ears, but cannot hear;they have noses, but cannot smell;

⁷they have hands, but cannot feel;they have feet, but cannot walk;they cannot even clear their throats.

⁸Those who make them become like them,as do all who trust in them.

⁹O Israel,trust in the LORD!He is their help and shield.

¹⁰O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD!He is their help and shield.

¹¹You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD!He is their help and shield.

¹²The LORD is mindful of us;He will bless us.He will bless the house of Israel;He will bless the house of Aaron;

¹³He will bless those who fear the LORD—small and great alike.

¹⁴May the LORD give you increase,both you and your children.

¹⁵May you be blessed by the LORD,the Maker of heaven and earth.

¹⁶The highest heavens belong to the LORD,but the earth He has given to mankind.

¹⁷It is not the dead who praise the LORD,nor any who descend into silence.

¹⁸But it is we who will bless the LORD,both now and forevermore.Hallelujah!