Ecclesiastes 12:3-9

3Remember your Creator when those who guard the house tremble, strong men are stooped over, the women at the mill stop grinding because there are so few of them, ⌞and⌟ those who look out of the windows see a dim light.

4Remember your Creator when the doors to the street are closed, the sound of the mill is muffled, you are startled at the sound of a bird, ⌞and⌟ those who sing songs become quiet.

5Remember your Creator when someone is afraid of heights and of dangers along the road, the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, ⌞and⌟ the caper bush has ⌞no⌟ fruit. Mortals go to their eternal rest, and mourners go out in the streets.

6Remember your Creator before the silver cord is snapped, the golden bowl is broken, the pitcher is smashed near the spring, and the water wheel is broken at the cistern.

7Then the dust ⌞of mortals⌟ goes back to the ground as it was before, and the breath of life goes back to God who gave it.

8“Absolutely pointless!” says the spokesman. “Everything is pointless!”

9Besides being wise, the spokesman also taught the people what he knew. He very carefully thought about it, studied it, and arranged it in many proverbs.