The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 So remember your creator while you are young, before the evil days come, and the years approach when you will say, "They no longer give me pleasure";
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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;
2 before the sun and the light grow dim, also the moon and the stars; before the clouds return after the rain;
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While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, are not dark, and the clouds come not back after the rain;
3 on the day when the guards of the house are trembling, and men of courage are bent over double; when the women stop grinding grain, because there are so few; when the women at the windows can no longer see out;
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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;
4 when the doors to the streets are kept shut; when the noise from the grain-mill fades; when a person is startled by the chirp of a bird, yet their singing is hard to hear;
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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;
5 when they will be afraid to go up a hill, and terrors will stalk the way, even though the almond tree is in bloom; when the locust can only drag itself along, and the caper berry has no [aphrodisiac] effect -because the person is headed for his eternal home, and the mourners are already gathering in the marketplace
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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;
6 before the silver cord is snapped the bowl of gold is cracked, the pitcher is shattered at the spring, the pulley is broken at the cistern,
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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;
7 the dust returns to earth, as it was, and the spirit returns to God, who gave it!
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And the dust goes back to the earth as it was, and the spirit goes back to God who gave it.
8 Pointless! Meaningless! -says Kohelet, Nothing matters at all!
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All things are to no purpose, says the Preacher, all is to no purpose.
9 Not only was Kohelet wise, he also taught the people what he knew; also he weighed, researched and corrected many ethical sayings.
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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.
10 Kohelet worked to develop an attractive writing style, in which he expressed the truth straightforwardly.
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The Preacher made search for words which were pleasing, but his writing was in words upright and true.
11 The sayings of the wise are as sharp as goads, and those given by leaders of assemblies are like well-fixed nails; [in this case,] they are presented by a single shepherd.
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The words of the wise are pointed, and sayings grouped together are like nails fixed with a hammer; they are given by one guide.
12 In addition, my son, take heed: one can write many books - there's no end to it; and one can study so much that it wearies the flesh.
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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.
13 Here is the final conclusion, now that you have heard everything: fear God, and keep his mitzvot; this is what being human is all about.
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This is the last word. All has been said. Have fear of God and keep his laws; because this is right for every man.
14 For God will bring to judgment everything we do, including every secret, whether good or bad. [Here is the final conclusion, now that you have heard everything: fear God, and keep his mitzvot; this is what being human is all about.]
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God will be judge of every work, with every secret thing, good or evil.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.