Chuándàoshū 12:1-7

1 Nǐ chèn zhe nián yòu , shuāi baì de rìzi shàng wèi lái dào , jiù shì nǐ suǒ shuō , wǒ haó wú xǐlè de nàxiē nián rì wèicéng línjìn zhī xiān , dāng jìniàn zào nǐde zhǔ .

2 Búyào dĕng dào rìtou , guāngmíng , yuèliang , xīng xiù , biàn wèi hēiàn , yǔ hòu yúncai fǎn huí ,

3 Kānshǒu fángwū de fā zhàn , yǒulì de qū shēn , tuī mó de xīshǎo jiù zhǐxī , cóng chuānghu wǎng waì kàn de dōu hūn àn ,

4 Jiē mén guānbì , tuī mó de xiǎngshēng wēi xiǎo , què niǎo yī jiào , rén jiù qǐlai , chàng gē de nǚzi , yĕ dōu shuāiwēi ,

5 Rén pà gāo chù , lù shang yǒu jīnghuāng , xìng shù kāi huā , zhà mĕng chéngwéi zhòngdàn , rén suǒ yuàn de yĕ dōu feìdiào , yīnwei rén guī tā yǒngyuǎn de jiā , diào sāng de zaì jiē shang wǎng lái ,

6 Yín liàn zhé duàn , jīn guàn pòliè , píng zǐ zaì quán páng súnhuaì , shuǐ lún zaì jǐng kǒu pò làn ,

7 Chéntǔ réng guīyú dì , líng réng guīyú cì líng de shén .

Chuándàoshū 12:1-7 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ECCLESIASTES 12

This chapter begins with advice to young men, which is continued from the preceding; and particularly to remember their Creator in the days of their youth; enforced from the consideration of the troubles and inconveniences of old age, Ec 12:1; which, in an allegorical way, is beautifully described, Ec 12:2-6; and from the certainty of death, when it would be too late, Ec 12:7. And then the wise man returns to his first proposition, and which he kept in view all along, that all is vanity in youth or old age, Ec 12:8; and recommends the reading of this book, from the diligence, pains and labour, he used in composing it; from the sententious matter in it; from the agreeable, acceptable, and well chosen words, in which he had expressed it; and from the wisdom, uprightness, truth, efficacy, and authority of the doctrines of it, Ec 12:9-11; and from its preference to other books, which were wearisome both to author and reader, Ec 12:12. And it is concluded with the scope and design, the sum and substance of the whole of it, reducible to these two heads; the fear of God, and obedience to him, Ec 12:13; and which are urged from the consideration of a future judgment, into which all things shall be brought, Ec 12:14.