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📚✭Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; 2 📚Before the sun or the light or the moon or the stars are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain; 3 📚In the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men bow, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look out of the windows grow dim,
4 📚And the doors are shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of the bird, and all the daughters of music are brought low;
5 📚And when they are afraid of high places, and fears are in the way, and the almond tree blossoms, and the grasshopper is burdensome, and desire fails; because man goes to his everlasting home and the mourners go around in the streets.
6 📚Remember him before the silver cord is loosened, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the spring, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
7 📚Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.
The conclusion of the whole matter
8 📚✭“Vanity of vanities”, says the teacher, “all is vanity”.
9 📚And moreover, because the teacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge. Yes, he pondered, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.
10 📚✭The teacher searched to find acceptable words; and what was written down was upright, and words of truth.
11 📚✭The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails hammered in by the masters of collected proverbs, which are given by one Shepherd.
12 📚And further, my son, be warned by these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness to the body.
13 📚✭Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear✭ God, and keep✭ his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.
14 📚For God will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it is good or evil.