The Bible in Basic English BBE
Good News Translation GNT
1 Let your mind be turned to your Maker in the days of your strength, while the evil days come not, and the years are far away when you will say, I have no pleasure in them;
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So remember your Creator while you are still young, before those dismal days and years come when you will say, "I don't enjoy life."
2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, are not dark, and the clouds come not back after the rain;
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That is when the light of the sun, the moon, and the stars will grow dim for you, and the rain clouds will never pass away.
3 In the day when the keepers of the house are shaking for fear, and the strong men are bent down, and the women who were crushing the grain are at rest because their number is small, and those looking out of the windows are unable to see;
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Then your arms, that have protected you, will tremble, and your legs, now strong, will grow weak. Your teeth will be too few to chew your food, and your eyes too dim to see clearly.
4 When the doors are shut in the street, and the sound of the crushing is low, and the voice of the bird is soft, and the daughters of music will be made low;
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Your ears will be deaf to the noise of the street. You will barely be able to hear the mill as it grinds or music as it plays, but even the song of a bird will wake you from sleep.
5 And he is in fear of that which is high, and danger is in the road, and the tree is white with flower, and the least thing is a weight, and desire is at an end, because man goes to his last resting-place, and those who are sorrowing are in the streets;
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You will be afraid of high places, and walking will be dangerous. Your hair will turn white; you will hardly be able to drag yourself along, and all desire will be gone. We are going to our final resting place, and then there will be mourning in the streets.
6 Before ever the silver cord is cut, or the vessel of gold is broken, or the pot is broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the water-hole;
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The silver chain will snap, and the golden lamp will fall and break; the rope at the well will break, and the water jar will be shattered.
7 And the dust goes back to the earth as it was, and the spirit goes back to God who gave it.
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Our bodies will return to the dust of the earth, and the breath of life will go back to God, who gave it to us.
8 All things are to no purpose, says the Preacher, all is to no purpose.
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Useless, useless, said the Philosopher. It is all useless.
9 And because the Preacher was wise he still gave the people knowledge; searching out, testing, and putting in order a great number of wise sayings.
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But because the Philosopher was wise, he kept on teaching the people what he knew. He studied proverbs and honestly tested their truth.
10 The Preacher made search for words which were pleasing, but his writing was in words upright and true.
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The Philosopher tried to find comforting words, but the words he wrote were honest.
11 The words of the wise are pointed, and sayings grouped together are like nails fixed with a hammer; they are given by one guide.
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The sayings of the wise are like the sharp sticks that shepherds use to guide sheep, and collected proverbs are as lasting as firmly driven nails. They have been given by God, the one Shepherd of us all.
12 And further, my son, take note of this: of the making of books there is no end, and much learning is a weariness to the flesh.
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My child, there is something else to watch out for. There is no end to the writing of books, and too much study will wear you out.
13 This is the last word. All has been said. Have fear of God and keep his laws; because this is right for every man.
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After all this, there is only one thing to say: Have reverence for God, and obey his commands, because this is all that we were created for.
14 God will be judge of every work, with every secret thing, good or evil.
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God is going to judge everything we do, whether good or bad, even things done in secret.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.