2
While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the cloudsreturnafter the rain:
3
In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strongmen shall bow themselves, and the grinders[a]cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,
4
And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;
5
Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because mangoeth to his longhome, and the mourners go about the streets:
6
Or ever the silvercord be loosed, or the goldenbowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheelbroken at the cistern.
7
Then shall the dustreturn to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
8
Vanity of vanities,saith the preacher; all is vanity.
9
And moreover,[b] because the preacher was wise, he still taught the peopleknowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in ordermanyproverbs.
10
The preachersought to find outacceptable[c]words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.
11
The words of the wise are as goads, and as nailsfastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from oneshepherd.
12
And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of makingmanybooks there is no end; and muchstudy[d] is a weariness of the flesh.