Remember Your Creator

1  וּזְכֹר֙ (And remember) אֶת־ (-) בּ֣וֹרְאֶ֔יךָ (your Creator) בִּימֵ֖י (in the days) בְּחוּרֹתֶ֑יךָ (of your youth),

עַ֣ד (while) אֲשֶׁ֤ר (-) לֹא־ (not) יָבֹ֙אוּ֙ (have come) יְמֵ֣י (the days) הָֽרָעָ֔ה (of evil)

וְהִגִּ֣יעוּ (and have drawn near) שָׁנִ֔ים (the years) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (when) תֹּאמַ֔ר (you say),

אֵֽין־ (No) לִ֥י (for me) בָהֶ֖ם (is in them) חֵֽפֶץ׃ (delight),

2  עַ֠ד (while) אֲשֶׁ֨ר (that) לֹֽא־ (not) תֶחְשַׁ֤ךְ (is darkened) הַשֶּׁ֙מֶשׁ֙ (the sun) וְהָא֔וֹר (and the light) וְהַיָּרֵ֖חַ (and the moon) וְהַכּוֹכָבִ֑ים (and the stars)

וְשָׁ֥בוּ (and return) הֶעָבִ֖ים (the clouds) אַחַ֥ר (after) הַגָּֽשֶׁם׃ (the rain),

3  בַּיּ֗וֹם (in the day) שֶׁיָּזֻ֙עוּ֙ (tremble) שֹׁמְרֵ֣י (the guards) הַבַּ֔יִת (of the house)

וְהִֽתְעַוְּת֖וּ (bow down) אַנְשֵׁ֣י (the men) הֶחָ֑יִל (of strength),

וּבָטְל֤וּ (and cease) הַטֹּֽחֲנוֹת֙ (those gridning) כִּ֣י (because) מִעֵ֔טוּ (they are few),

וְחָשְׁכ֥וּ (and grow dim) הָרֹא֖וֹת (those looking out) בָּאֲרֻבּֽוֹת׃ (through the windows),

4  וְסֻגְּר֤וּ (and are shut) דְלָתַ֙יִם֙ (the doors) בַּשּׁ֔וּק (in the streets),

בִּשְׁפַ֖ל (and becomes low) ק֣וֹל (the sound) הַֽטַּחֲנָ֑ה (of the grinding)

וְיָקוּם֙ (and one rises up) לְק֣וֹל (at the voice) הַצִּפּ֔וֹר (of the bird),

וְיִשַּׁ֖חוּ (and are bent low) כָּל־ (all) בְּנ֥וֹת (the daughters) הַשִּֽׁיר׃ (of the song).

5  גַּ֣ם (Even) מִגָּבֹ֤הַּ (from height) יִרָ֙אוּ֙ (they are afraid) וְחַתְחַתִּ֣ים (and of terrors) בַּדֶּ֔רֶךְ (in the way),

וְיָנֵ֤אץ (and blossoms) הַשָּׁקֵד֙ (the almond tree),

וְיִסְתַּבֵּ֣ל (and carries itself along) הֶֽחָגָ֔ב (the grasshopper),

וְתָפֵ֖ר (and breaks off) הָֽאֲבִיּוֹנָ֑ה (the caper berry)—

כִּֽי־ (because) הֹלֵ֤ךְ (is going) הָאָדָם֙ (man) אֶל־ (to) בֵּ֣ית (home) עוֹלָמ֔וֹ (his eternal),

וְסָבְב֥וּ (and go around) בָשּׁ֖וּק (in the street) הַסֹּפְדִֽים׃ (those mourning)—

6  עַ֣ד (while) אֲשֶׁ֤ר (-) לֹֽא־ (not) יִרְחַק (is snapped) חֶ֣בֶל (the cord) הַכֶּ֔סֶף (of silver)

וְתָרֻ֖ץ (or broken), גֻּלַּ֣ת (the bowl) הַזָּהָ֑ב (of gold)

וְתִשָּׁ֤בֶר (or shattered) כַּד֙ (the pitcher) עַל־ (at) הַמַּבּ֔וּעַ (the fountain),

וְנָרֹ֥ץ (or crushed) הַגַּלְגַּ֖ל (the wheel) אֶל־ (at) הַבּֽוֹר׃ (the well).

7  וְיָשֹׁ֧ב (And returns then) הֶעָפָ֛ר (the dust) עַל־ (to) הָאָ֖רֶץ (the earth) כְּשֶׁהָיָ֑ה (as it was),

וְהָר֣וּחַ (and the spirit) תָּשׁ֔וּב (returns) אֶל־ (to) הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים (God) אֲשֶׁ֥ר (who) נְתָנָֽהּ׃ (gave it).

8  הֲבֵ֧ל (Vapor) הֲבָלִ֛ים (of vapors), אָמַ֥ר (says) הַקּוֹהֶ֖לֶת (the Qoheleth);

הַכֹּ֥ל (All) הָֽבֶל׃ (is vapor).

The Whole Duty of Man

9  וְיֹתֵ֕ר (And further), שֶׁהָיָ֥ה (being) קֹהֶ֖לֶת (Qoheleth) חָכָ֑ם (wise), ע֗וֹד (also) לִמַּד־ (did he teach) דַּ֙עַת֙ (knowledge) אֶת־ (-) הָעָ֔ם (the people), וְאִזֵּ֣ן (and he pondered) וְחִקֵּ֔ר (and he searched)— תִּקֵּ֖ן (and he arranged) מְשָׁלִ֥ים (proverbs) הַרְבֵּֽה׃ (many). 10  בִּקֵּ֣שׁ (Sought) קֹהֶ֔לֶת (Qoheleth) לִמְצֹ֖א (to find) דִּבְרֵי־ (words) חֵ֑פֶץ (of delight) וְכָת֥וּב (and to record) יֹ֖שֶׁר (uprightly)— דִּבְרֵ֥י (words) אֱמֶֽת׃ (of truth).

11  דִּבְרֵ֤י (The words) חֲכָמִים֙ (of the wise) כַּדָּ֣רְבֹנ֔וֹת (are like goads), וּֽכְמַשְׂמְר֥וֹת (and like nails) נְטוּעִ֖ים (implanted) בַּעֲלֵ֣י (by the masters) אֲסֻפּ֑וֹת (of collections), נִתְּנ֖וּ (given) מֵרֹעֶ֥ה (by a Shepherd) אֶחָֽד׃ (one). 12  וְיֹתֵ֥ר (And further), מֵהֵ֖מָּה (by these) בְּנִ֣י (my son) הִזָּהֵ֑ר (be warned): עֲשׂ֨וֹת (To the making) סְפָרִ֤ים (books) הַרְבֵּה֙ (of many) אֵ֣ין (there is no) קֵ֔ץ (end), וְלַ֥הַג (and study) הַרְבֵּ֖ה (much) יְגִעַ֥ת (is weariness) בָּשָֽׂר׃ (to the flesh).

13  ס֥וֹף (The conclusion) דָּבָ֖ר (of matter) הַכֹּ֣ל (of the whole) נִשְׁמָ֑ע (has been heard): אֶת־ (-) הָאֱלֹהִ֤ים (God) יְרָא֙ (you shall fear), וְאֶת־ (and) מִצְוֺתָ֣יו (His commandments) שְׁמ֔וֹר (keep), כִּי־ (for) זֶ֖ה (this is) כָּל־ (is the whole) הָאָדָֽם׃ (of the man). 14  כִּ֤י (For) אֶת־ (-) כָּל־ (every) מַֽעֲשֶׂ֔ה (work) הָאֱלֹהִ֛ים (God) יָבִ֥א (will bring) בְמִשְׁפָּ֖ט (into judgment), עַ֣ל (with) כָּל־ (every) נֶעְלָ֑ם (hidden thing), אִם־ (whether) ט֖וֹב (good) וְאִם־ (or) רָֽע׃ (evil).