New American Standard Bible 2020

Ecclesiastes 12

Remember God in Your Youth

1Rememberוּזְכֹר֙u.ze.KhorH2142also your Creatorבּ֣וֹרְאֶ֔יךָbor.'Ei.khaH1254in the daysבִּימֵ֖יbi.MeiH3117of your youthבְּחוּרֹתֶ֑יךָbe.chu.ro.Tei.khaH979,beforeעַ֣ד אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹא־'ad 'a.Sher lo'-H5704 H834 H3808theevilH7463daysיְמֵ֣יye.MeiH3117comeיָבֹ֙אוּ֙ya.Vo.'uH935and the yearsשָׁנִ֔יםsha.NimH8141approachוְהִגִּ֣יעוּve.hi.Gi.'uH5060whenאֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherH834you will sayתֹּאמַ֔רto.MarH559, “I haveH369noH369pleasureחֵֽפֶץ׃Che.fetzH2656in them”;

2beforeעַ֠ד אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא־'ad 'a.Sher lo'-H5704 H834 H3808thesunהַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ha.She.meshH8121and the lightוְהָא֔וֹרve.ha.'OrH216,the moonוְהַיָּרֵ֖חַve.hai.ya.Re.achH3394and the starsוְהַכּוֹכָבִ֑יםve.ha.ko.kha.VimH3556are darkenedתֶחְשַׁ֤ךְtech.ShakhH2821,and cloudsהֶעָבִ֖יםhe.'a.VimH5645returnוְשָׁ֥בוּve.Sha.vuH7725afterאַחַ֥ר'a.CharH310the rainהַגָּֽשֶׁם׃ha.Ga.shemH1653;

3on the dayבַּיּ֗וֹםbai.YomH3117that the watchmenשֹׁמְרֵ֣יsho.me.ReiH8104of the houseהַבַּ֔יִתha.Ba.yitH1004trembleשֶׁיָּזֻ֙עוּ֙shei.ya.Zu.'uH2111,and strongהֶחָ֑יִלhe.Cha.yilH2428menH376arebentH5791overH5791,the grindersהַטֹּֽחֲנוֹת֙ha.to.cha.nOtH2912stopH988workingH988becauseכִּ֣יkiH3588they areH4591fewמִעֵ֔טוּmi.'E.tuH4591, andthose who lookהָרֹא֖וֹתha.ro.'otH7200throughwindowsבָּאֲרֻבּֽוֹת׃ba.'a.ru.BotH699growוְחָשְׁכ֥וּve.cha.she.KhuH2821dimH2821;

4and the doorsדְלָתַ֙יִם֙de.la.Ta.yimH1817on the streetבַּשּׁ֔וּקba.ShukH7784are shutוְסֻגְּר֤וּve.su.ge.RuH5462as thesoundק֣וֹלKolH6963of the grindingH2913millH2913is lowH8217,and one will ariseוְיָקוּם֙ve.ya.KumH6965at the soundלְק֣וֹלle.KolH6963of the birdהַצִּפּ֔וֹרha.tzi.PorH6833,and allכָּל־kol-H3605thedaughtersבְּנ֥וֹתbe.NotH1323of songהַשִּֽׁיר׃ha.ShirH7892willsingH7817softlyH7817.

5Furthermoreגַּ֣םgamH1571, peopleareH3372afraidיִרָ֙אוּ֙yi.Ra.'uH3372of a highמִגָּבֹ֤הַּmi.ga.Vo.ahH1364place and of terrorsוְחַתְחַתִּ֣יםve.chat.cha.TimH2849on the roadבַּדֶּ֔רֶךְba.De.rekhH1870;the almondהַשָּׁקֵד֙ha.sha.KedH8247treeH8247blossomsH5340,the grasshopperהֶֽחָגָ֔בhe.cha.GavH2284dragsוְיִסְתַּבֵּ֣לve.yis.ta.BelH5445itself along, and the caperH35berryH35is ineffectiveוְתָפֵ֖רve.ta.FerH6565.For manהָאָדָם֙ha.'a.DamH120goesהֹלֵ֤ךְho.LekhH1980to his eternalעוֹלָמ֔וֹo.la.MoH5769homeבֵּ֣יתbeitH1004while themournersהַסֹּפְדִֽים׃ha.so.fe.DimH5594moveH5437aroundH5437in the streetבָשּׁ֖וּקva.ShukH7784.

6Remember your Creatorbeforeעַ֣ד אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־'ad 'a.Sher lo'-H5704 H834 H3808the silverהַכֶּ֔סֶףha.Ke.sefH3701cordחֶ֣בֶלChe.velH2256isbrokenיֵרָתֵק֙yi.r.chakH7576and thegoldenהַזָּהָ֑בha.za.HavH2091bowlגֻּלַּ֣תgu.LatH1543is crushedוְתָרֻ֖ץve.ta.RutzH7533,the pitcherכַּד֙kadH3537by the springהַמַּבּ֔וּעַha.ma.Bu.a'H4002is shatteredוְתִשָּׁ֤בֶרve.ti.Sha.verH7665and the wheelהַגַּלְגַּ֖לha.gal.GalH1534at the cisternהַבּֽוֹר׃ha.BorH953is crushedוְנָרֹ֥ץve.na.RotzH7533;

7then thedustהֶעָפָ֛רhe.'a.FarH6083will returnוְיָשֹׁ֧בve.ya.ShoH7725to the earthהָאָ֖רֶץha.'A.retzH776as it was, and thespiritוְהָר֣וּחַve.ha.Ru.achH7307will returnתָּשׁ֔וּבta.ShuvH7725toGodהָאֱלֹהִ֖יםha.'E.lo.HimH430whoאֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherH834gaveנְתָנָֽהּ׃ne.ta.NahH5414it.

8“Futilityהֲבֵ֧לha.VelH1892of futilitiesהֲבָלִ֛יםha.va.LimH1892,”saysאָמַ֥ר'a.MarH559the Preacherהַקּוֹהֶ֖לֶתha.ko.He.letH6953, “allהַכֹּ֥לha.KolH3605is futilityהָֽבֶל׃Ha.velH1892!”

Purpose of the Preacher

9In additionוְיֹתֵ֕רve.yo.TerH3148to beingשֶׁהָיָ֥הshe.ha.YahH1961wiseחָכָ֑םcha.KhamH2450,the Preacherקֹהֶ֖לֶתko.He.letH6953alsoע֗וֹדodH5750taughtלִמַּד־li.mad-H3925the peopleהָעָ֔םha.'AmH5971knowledgeדַּ֙עַת֙da.'atH1847;and he ponderedוְאִזֵּ֣ןve.'i.ZenH239,searchedוְחִקֵּ֔רve.chi.KerH2713outH2713,and arrangedתִּקֵּ֖ןti.KenH8626manyהַרְבֵּֽה׃har.BehH7235proverbsמְשָׁלִ֥יםme.sha.LimH4912.

10The Preacherקֹהֶ֔לֶתko.He.letH6953soughtבִּקֵּ֣שׁbi.KeshH1245to findלִמְצֹ֖אlim.Tzo'H4672delightfulחֵ֑פֶץChe.fetzH2656wordsדִּבְרֵי־div.rei-H1697and to writeוְכָת֥וּבve.kha.TuvH3789wordsדִּבְרֵ֥יdiv.ReiH1697of truthאֱמֶֽת׃'e.MetH571correctlyיֹ֖שֶׁרYo.sherH3476.

11Thewordsדִּבְרֵ֤יdiv.ReiH1697of the wiseחֲכָמִים֙cha.kha.MimH2450are likegoadsכַּדָּ֣רְבֹנ֔וֹתka.Da.re.vo.NotH1861,and mastersבַּעֲלֵ֣יba.'a.LeiH1167of thesecollectionsאֲסֻפּ֑וֹת'a.su.PotH627are like drivenנְטוּעִ֖יםne.tu.'ImH5193nailsH4548;they are givenנִתְּנ֖וּni.te.NuH5414by oneאֶחָֽד׃'e.ChadH259Shepherdמֵרֹעֶ֥הme.ro.'EhH7462.

12But beyondוְיֹתֵ֥רve.yo.TerH3148thisH1992,my sonבְּנִ֣יbe.NiH1121,be warnedהִזָּהֵ֑רhi.za.HerH2094: thewritingעֲשׂ֨וֹתa.SotH6213ofmanyH7235booksסְפָרִ֤יםse.fa.RimH5612is endlessאֵ֣ין קֵ֔ץ'ein KetzH7093 H369,and excessiveH3854studyH3854iswearyingיְגִעַ֥תye.gi.'AtH3024to the bodyבָּשָֽׂר׃ba.SarH1320.

13The conclusionס֥וֹף דָּבָ֖רSof da.VarH5490 H1697,when everythingהַכֹּ֣לha.KolH3605has been heardנִשְׁמָ֑עnish.Ma'H8085, is:fearיְרָא֙ye.Ra'H3372Godהָאֱלֹהִ֤יםha.'E.lo.HimH430andkeepשְׁמ֔וֹרshe.MorH8104His commandmentsמִצְוֹתָ֣יוmitz.vo.TavH4687,becauseכִּי־ki-H3588thisזֶ֖הzehH2088applies toeveryכָּל־kol-H3605personהָאָדָֽם׃ha.'a.DamH120.

14ForGodהָאֱלֹהִ֛יםha.'E.lo.HimH430will bringיָבִ֥אya.Vi'H935everyכָּל־kol-H3605actמַֽעֲשֶׂ֔הma.'a.SehH4639to judgmentבְמִשְׁפָּ֖טve.mish.PatH4941,everythingכָּל־kol-H3605which is hiddenנֶעְלָ֑םne'.LamH5956,whetherH518it is goodט֖וֹבTovH2896or evilרָֽע׃Ra'H7451.

Remember God in Your Youth

Purpose of the Preacher

Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 12