In the Minneapolis Star Tribune is an entire section for sports. Can you believe an entire section of the newspaper for sports and not one column for God? Not one column is written about the Maker of the universe who upholds the whole Coles Media industry by the power of his word. Not one minute for God on prime-time news. In twelve years of public education, not one hour relates to God, and not one page in Newsweek or Time. What about evangelicals? I've been to church growth seminars where God is not once mentioned. I've been to lectures and talks on pastoral issues where he is not so much as alluded to. I have read strategies for every kind of recovery under the sun where God is not there. I have talked to students in seminaries who tell me of manifold, practical courses where God is peripheral at best. I have recently read mission statements of major evangelical organizations where neither Christ nor God is even mentioned.
John Piper

Ecclesiastes or, The Preacher

Ecclesiastes or, The Preacher

{1:1} The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king inJerusalem. {1:2} Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; vanity ofvanities, all is vanity. {1:3} What profit hath man of all his laborwherein he laboreth under the sun? {1:4} One generation goeth, andanother generation cometh; but the earth abideth for ever. {1:5} Thesun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to its placewhere it ariseth. {1:6} The wind goeth toward the south, and turnethabout unto the north; it turneth about continually in its course, andthe wind returneth again to its circuits. {1:7} All the rivers run intothe sea, yet the sea is not full; unto the place whither the rivers go,thither they go again. {1:8} All things are full of weariness; mancannot utter [it]: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the earfilled with hearing. {1:9} That which hath been is that which shall be;and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there isno new thing under the sun. {1:10} Is there a thing whereof it may besaid, See, this is new? it hath been long ago, in the ages which werebefore us. {1:11} There is no remembrance of the former [generations];neither shall there be any remembrance of the latter [generations] thatare to come, among those that shall come after. {1:12} I the Preacherwas king over Israel in Jerusalem. {1:13} And I applied my heart toseek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done underheaven: it is a sore travail that God hath given to the sons of men tobe exercised therewith. {1:14} I have seen all the works that are doneunder the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.{1:15} That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which iswanting cannot be numbered. {1:16} I communed with mine own hear,saying, Lo, I have gotten me great wisdom above all that were before mein Jerusalem; yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom andknowledge. {1:17} And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to knowmadness and folly: I perceived that this also was a striving afterwind. {1:18} For in much wisdom is much grief; and he that increasethknowledge increaseth sorrow.

{2:1} I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth;therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also was vanity. {2:2} Isaid of laughter, It is mad; and of mirth, What doeth it? {2:3} Isearched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yetguiding [me] with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I mightsee what it was good for the sons of men that they should do underheaven all the days of their life. {2:4} I made me great works; Ibuilded me houses; I planted me vineyards; {2:5} I made me gardens andparks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit; {2:6} I mademe pools of water, to water therefrom the forest where trees werereared; {2:7} I bought men-servants and maid-servants, and had servantsborn in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks,above all that were before me in Jerusalem; {2:8} I gathered me alsosilver and gold, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces; I gatme men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men,musical instruments, and that of all sorts. {2:9} So I was great, andincreased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also mywisdom remained with me. {2:10} And whatsoever mine eyes desired I keptnot from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heartrejoiced because of all my labor; and this was my portion from all mylabor. {2:11} Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought,and on the labor that I had labored to do; and, behold, all was vanityand a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.{2:12} And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly:for what [can] the man [do] that cometh after the king? [even] thatwhich hath been done long ago. {2:13} Then I saw that wisdom excellethfolly, as far as light excelleth darkness. {2:14} The wise man’s eyesare in his head, and the fool walketh in darkness: and yet I perceivedthat one event happeneth to them all. {2:15} Then said I in my heart,As it happeneth to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why wasI then more wise? Then said I in my heart, that this also is vanity.{2:16} For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is noremembrance for ever; seeing that in the days to come all will havebeen long forgotten. And how doth the wise man die even as the fool!{2:17} So I hated life, because the work that is wrought under the sunwas grievous unto me; for all is vanity and a striving after wind.{2:18} And I hated all my labor wherein I labored under the sun, seeingthat I must leave it unto the man that shall be after me. {2:19} Andwho knoweth whether he will be a wise man or a fool? yet will he haverule over all my labor wherein I have labored, and wherein I haveshowed myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity. {2:20} ThereforeI turned about to cause my heart to despair concerning all the laborwherein I had labored under the sun. {2:21} For there is a man whoselabor is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skilfulness; yet toa man that hath not labored therein shall he leave it for his portion.This also is vanity and a great evil. {2:22} For what hath a man of allhis labor, and of the striving of his heart, wherein he laboreth underthe sun? {2:23} For all his days are [but] sorrows, and his travail isgrief; yea, even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also isvanity. {2:24} There is nothing better for a man [than] that he shouldeat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also Isaw, that it is from the hand of God. {2:25} For who can eat, or whocan have enjoyment, more than I? {2:26} For to the man that pleasethhim [God] giveth wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner hegiveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him thatpleaseth God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

{3:1} For everything there is a season, and a time for very purposeunder heaven: {3:2} a time to be born, and a time to die; a time toplant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; {3:3} a time tokill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;{3:4} a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a timeto dance; {3:5} a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stonestogether; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;{3:6} a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time tocast away; {3:7} a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keepsilence, and a time to speak; {3:8} a time to love, and a time to hate;a time for war, and a time for peace. {3:9} What profit hath he thatworketh in that wherein he laboreth? {3:10} I have seen the travailwhich God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.{3:11} He hath made everything beautiful in its time: also he hath seteternity in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work thatGod hath done from the beginning even to the end. {3:12} I know thatthere is nothing better for them, than to rejoice, and to do good solong as they live. {3:13} And also that every man should eat and drink,and enjoy good in all his labor, is the gift of God. {3:14} I knowthat, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put toit, nor anything taken from it; and God hath done it, that men shouldfear before him. {3:15} That which is hath been long ago; and thatwhich is to be hath long ago been: and God seeketh again that which ispassed away. {3:16} And moreover I saw under the sun, in the place ofjustice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness,that wickedness was there. {3:17} I said in my heart, God will judgethe righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for everypurpose and for every work. {3:18} I said in my heart, [It is] becauseof the sons of men, that God may prove them, and that they may see thatthey themselves are [but as] beasts. {3:19} For that which befalleththe sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as theone dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; and manhath no preeminence above the beasts: for all is vanity. {3:20} All gounto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. {3:21}Who knoweth the spirit of man, whether it goeth upward, and the spiritof the beast, whether it goeth downward to the earth? {3:22} WhereforeI saw that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice inhis works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him [back] tosee what shall be after him?

{4:1} Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are doneunder the sun: and, behold, the tears of such as were oppressed, andthey had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there waspower; but they had no comforter. {4:2} Wherefore I praised the deadthat have been long dead more than the living that are yet alive; {4:3}yea, better than them both [did I esteem] him that hath not yet been,who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun. {4:4} ThenI saw all labor and every skilful work, that for this a man is enviedof his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. {4:5}The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh. {4:6}Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor andstriving after wind. {4:7} Then I returned and saw vanity under thesun. {4:8} There is one that is alone, and he hath not a second; yea,he hath neither son nor brother; yet is there no end of all his labor,neither are his eyes satisfied with riches. For whom then, [saith he],do I labor, and deprive my soul of good? This also is vanity, yea, itis a sore travail. {4:9} Two are better than one, because they have agood reward for their labor. {4:10} For if they fall, the one will liftup his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, and hathnot another to lift him up. {4:11} Again, if two lie together, thenthey have warmth; but how can one be warm [alone]? {4:12} And if a manprevail against him that is alone, two shall withstand him; and athreefold cord is not quickly broken. {4:13} Better is a poor and wiseyouth than an old and foolish king, who knoweth not how to receiveadmonition any more. {4:14} For out of prison he came forth to be king;yea, even in his kingdom he was born poor. {4:15} I saw all the livingthat walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the second,that stood up in his stead. {4:16} There was no end of all the people,even of all them over whom he was: yet they that come after shall notrejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

{5:1} Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God; for to drawnigh to hear is better than to give the sacrifice of fools: for theyknow not that they do evil. {5:2} Be not rash with thy mouth, and letnot thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is inheaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. {5:3} Fora dream cometh with a multitude of business, and a fool’s voice with amultitude of words. {5:4} When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not topay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou vowest.{5:5} Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thoushouldest vow and not pay. {5:6} Suffer not thy mouth to cause thyflesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that is was an error:wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thyhands? {5:7} For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, and inmany words: but fear thou God. {5:8} If thou seest the oppression ofthe poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in aprovince, marvel not at the matter: for one higher than the highregardeth; and there are higher than they. {5:9} Moreover the profit ofthe earth is for all: the king [himself] is served by the field. {5:10}He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he thatloveth abundance, with increase: this also is vanity. {5:11} When goodsincrease, they are increased that eat them; and what advantage is thereto the owner thereof, save the beholding [of them] with his eyes?{5:12} The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little ormuch; but the fulness of the rich will not suffer him to sleep. {5:13}There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, [namely],riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt: {5:14} and those richesperish by evil adventure; and if he hath begotten a son, there isnothing in his hand. {5:15} As he came forth from his mother’s womb,naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for hislabor, which he may carry away in his hand. {5:16} And this also is agrievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and whatprofit hath he that he laboreth for the wind? {5:17} All his days alsohe eateth in darkness, and he is sore vexed, and hath sickness andwrath. {5:18} Behold, that which I have seen to be good and to becomely is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all hislabor, wherein he laboreth under the sun, all the days of his lifewhich God hath given him: for this is his portion. {5:19} Every manalso to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him powerto eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in hislabor-this is the gift of God. {5:20} For he shall not much rememberthe days of his life; because God answereth [him] in the joy of hisheart.

{6:1} There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it isheavy upon men: {6:2} a man to whom God giveth riches, wealth, andhonor, so that he lacketh nothing for his soul of all that he desireth,yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but an alien eateth it;this is vanity, and it is an evil disease. {6:3} If a man beget ahundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his yearsare many, but his soul be not filled with good, and moreover he have noburial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he: {6:4} for itcometh in vanity, and departeth in darkness, and the name thereof iscovered with darkness; {6:5} moreover it hath not seen the sun norknown it; this hath rest rather than the other: {6:6} yea, though helive a thousand years twice told, and yet enjoy no good, do not all goto one place? {6:7} All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet theappetite is not filled. {6:8} For what advantage hath the wise morethan the fool? [or] what hath the poor man, that knoweth how to walkbefore the living? {6:9} Better is the sight of the eyes than thewandering of the desire: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.{6:10} Whatsoever hath been, the name thereof was given long ago; andit is know what man is; neither can he contend with him that ismightier than he. {6:11} Seeing there are many things that increasevanity, what is man the better? {6:12} For who knoweth what is good forman in [his] life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as ashadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

{7:1} A [good] name is better than precious oil; and the day ofdeath, than the day of one’s birth. {7:2} It is better to go to thehouse of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: for that is theend of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. {7:3} Sorrowis better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance theheart is made glad. {7:4} The heart of the wise is in the house ofmourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. {7:5} It isbetter to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the songof fools. {7:6} For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is thelaughter of the fool: this also is vanity. {7:7} Surely extortionmaketh the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroyeth the understanding.{7:8} Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof; [and]the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. {7:9} Be nothasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in the bosom offools. {7:10} Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days werebetter than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.{7:11} Wisdom is as good as an inheritance; yea, more excellent is itfor them that see the sun. {7:12} For wisdom is a defence, even asmoney is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdompreserveth the life of him that hath it. {7:13} Consider the work ofGod: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked? {7:14}In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversityconsider; yea, God hath made the one side by side with the other, tothe end that man should not find out anything [that shall be] afterhim. {7:15} All this have I seen in my days of vanity: there is arighteous man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is awicked man that prolongeth [his life] in his evil-doing. {7:16} Be notrighteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thoudestroy thyself? {7:17} Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thoufoolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time? {7:18} It is good thatthou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thyhand: for he that feareth God shall come forth from them all. {7:19}Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers that are in acity. {7:20} Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doethgood, and sinneth not. {7:21} Also take not heed unto all words thatare spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee; {7:22} foroftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hastcursed others. {7:23} All this have I proved in wisdom: I said, I willbe wise; but it was far from me. {7:24} That which is, is far off andexceeding deep; who can find it out? {7:25} I turned about, and myheart [was set] to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and thereason [of things], and to know that wickedness is folly, and thatfoolishness is madness. {7:26} And I find more bitter than death thewoman whose heart is snares and nets, [and] whose hands are bands:whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be takenby her. {7:27} Behold, this have I found, saith the Preacher, [laying]one thing to another, to find out the account; {7:28} which my soulstill seeketh, but I have not found: one man among a thousand have Ifound; but a woman among all those have I not found. {7:29} Behold,this only have I found: that God made man upright; but they have soughtout many inventions.

{8:1} Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation ofa thing? A man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the hardness ofhis face is changed. {8:2} I [counsel thee], Keep the king’s command,and that in regard of the oath of God. {8:3} Be not hasty to go out ofhis presence; persist not in an evil thing: for he doeth whatsoeverpleaseth him. {8:4} For the king’s word [hath] power; and who may sayunto him, What doest thou? {8:5} Whoso keepeth the commandment shallknow no evil thing; and a wise man’s heart discerneth time andjudgment: {8:6} for to every purpose there is a time and judgment;because the misery of man is great upon him: {8:7} for he knoweth notthat which shall be; for who can tell him how it shall be? {8:8} Thereis no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neitherhath he power over the day of death; and there is no discharge in war:neither shall wickedness deliver him that is given to it. {8:9} Allthis have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is doneunder the sun: [there is] a time wherein one man hath power overanother to his hurt. {8:10} So I saw the wicked buried, and they came[to the grave]; and they that had done right went away from the holyplace, and were forgotten in the city: this also is vanity. {8:11}Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily,therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.{8:12} Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and prolong his [days],yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, thatfear before him: {8:13} but it shall not be well with the wicked,neither shall he prolong [his] days, [which are] as a shadow; becausehe feareth not before God. {8:14} There is a vanity which is done uponthe earth, that there are righteous men unto whom it happenethaccording to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men towhom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said thatthis also is vanity. {8:15} Then I commended mirth, because a man hathno better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to bejoyful: for that shall abide with him in his labor [all] the days ofhis life which God hath given him under the sun. {8:16} When I appliedmy heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon theearth (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep withhis eyes), {8:17} then I beheld all the work of God, that man cannotfind out the work that is done under the sun: because however much aman labor to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea moreover,though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.

{9:1} For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this:that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand ofGod; whether it be love or hatred, man knoweth it not; all is beforethem. {9:2} All things come alike to all: there is one event to therighteous and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean and to theunclean; to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not; as isthe good, so is the sinner; [and] he that sweareth, as he that fearethan oath. {9:3} This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, thatthere is one event unto all: yea also, the heart of the sons of men isfull of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and afterthat [they go] to the dead. {9:4} For to him that is joined with allthe living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.{9:5} For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know notanything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of themis forgotten. {9:6} As well their love, as their hatred and their envy,is perished long ago; neither have they any more a portion for ever inanything that is done under the sun. {9:7} Go thy way, eat thy breadwith joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God hath alreadyaccepted thy works. {9:8} Let thy garments be always white; and let notthy head lack oil. {9:9} Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovestall the days of thy life of vanity, which he hath given thee under thesun, all thy days of vanity: for that is thy portion in life, and inthy labor wherein thou laborest under the sun. {9:10} Whatsoever thyhand findeth to do, do [it] with thy might; for there is no work, nordevice, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, whither thou goest. {9:11}I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift,nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yetriches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but timeand chance happeneth to them all. {9:12} For man also knoweth not histime: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birdsthat are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in anevil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them. {9:13} I have also seenwisdom under the sun on this wise, and it seemed great unto me: {9:14}There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a greatking against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it.{9:15} Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdomdelivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. {9:16}Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poorman’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. {9:17} The wordsof the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him that rulethamong fools. {9:18} Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but onesinner destroyeth much good.

{10:1} Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to send forth anevil odor; [so] doth a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor. {10:2} Awise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left.{10:3} Yea also, when the fool walketh by the way, his understandingfaileth him, and he saith to every one [that] he is a fool. {10:4} Ifthe spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; forgentleness allayeth great offences. {10:5} There is an evil which Ihave seen under the sun, as it were an error which proceedeth from theruler: {10:6} folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in a lowplace. {10:7} I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walkinglike servants upon the earth. {10:8} He that diggeth a pit shall fallinto it; and whoso breaketh through a wall, a serpent shall bite him.{10:9} Whoso heweth out stones shall be hurt therewith; [and] he thatcleaveth wood is endangered thereby. {10:10} If the iron be blunt, andone do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdomis profitable to direct. {10:11} If the serpent bite before it ischarmed, then is there no advantage in the charmer. {10:12} The wordsof a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallowup himself. {10:13} The beginning of the words of his mouth isfoolishness; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. {10:14} Afool also multiplieth words: [yet] man knoweth not what shall be; andthat which shall be after him, who can tell him? {10:15} The labor offools wearieth every one of them; for he knoweth not how to go to thecity. {10:16} Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thyprinces eat in the morning! {10:17} Happy art thou, O land, when thyking is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, forstrength, and not for drunkenness! {10:18} By slothfulness the roofsinketh in; and through idleness of the hands the house leaketh.{10:19} A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh glad the life;and money answereth all things. {10:20} Revile not the king, no, not inthy thought; and revile not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird ofthe heavens shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tellthe matter.

{11:1} Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it aftermany days. {11:2} Give a portion to seven, yea, even unto eight; forthou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. {11:3} If theclouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth; and if atree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where thetree falleth, there shall it be. {11:4} He that observeth the windshall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. {11:5}As thou knowest not what is the way of the wind, [nor] how the bones[do grow] in the womb of her that is with child; even so thou knowestnot the work of God who doeth all. {11:6} In the morning sow thy seed,and in the evening withhold not thy hand; for thou knowest not whichshall prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both shall bealike good. {11:7} Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it isfor the eyes to behold the sun. {11:8} Yea, if a man live many years,let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness,for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity. {11:9} Rejoice, Oyoung man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days ofthy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thineeyes; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee intojudgment. {11:10} Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put awayevil from thy flesh; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

{12:1} Remember also thy Creator in the days of thy youth, beforethe evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, Ihave no pleasure in them; {12:2} before the sun, and the light, and themoon, and the stars, are darkened, and the clouds return after therain; {12:3} in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble,and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease becausethey are few, and those that look out of the windows shall be darkened,{12:4} and the doors shall be shut in the street; when the sound of thegrinding is low, and one shall rise up at the voice of a bird, and allthe daughters of music shall be brought low; {12:5} yea, they shall beafraid of [that which is] high, and terrors [shall be] in the way; andthe almond-tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall be a burden,and desire shall fail; because man goeth to his everlasting home, andthe mourners go about the streets: {12:6} before the silver cord isloosed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at thefountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, {12:7} and the dustreturneth to the earth as it was, and the spirit returneth unto God whogave it. {12:8} Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; all is vanity.{12:9} And further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught thepeople knowledge; yea, he pondered, and sought out, [and] set in ordermany proverbs. {12:10} The Preacher sought to find out acceptablewords, and that which was written uprightly, [even] words of truth.{12:11} The words of the wise are as goads; and as nails well fastenedare [the words of] the masters of assemblies, [which] are given fromone shepherd. {12:12} And furthermore, my son, be admonished: of makingmany books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.{12:13} [This is] the end of the matter; all hath been heard: fear God,and keep his commandments; for this is the whole [duty] of man. {12:14}For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing,whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

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