| Berean Study Bible | English Standard Version |
| 1Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of adversity come and the years approach of which you will say, “I find no pleasure in them,” | 1Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; |
| 2before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is darkened, and the clouds return after the rain, | 2before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, |
| 3on the day the keepers of the house tremble and the strong men stoop, when those grinding cease because they are few and those watching through windows see dimly, | 3in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed, |
| 4when the doors to the street are shut and the sound of the mill fades away, when one rises at the sound of a bird and all the daughters of song grow faint, | 4and the doors on the street are shut—when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low— |
| 5when men fear the heights and dangers of the road, when the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper loses its spring, and the caper berry shrivels—for then man goes to his eternal home and mourners walk the streets. | 5they are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and desire fails, because man is going to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets— |
| 6Remember Him before the silver cord is snapped and the golden bowl is crushed, before the pitcher is shattered at the spring and the wheel is broken at the well, | 6before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, |
| 7before the dust returns to the ground from which it came and the spirit returns to God who gave it. | 7and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. |
| 8“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher. “Everything is futile!” | 8Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity. |
| 9Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also taught the people knowledge; he pondered, searched out, and arranged many proverbs. | 9Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. |
| 10The Teacher searched to find delightful sayings and to record accurate words of truth. | 10The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth. |
| 11The words of the wise are like goads, and the anthologies of the masters are like firmly embedded nails driven by a single Shepherd. | 11The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. |
| 12And by these, my son, be further warned: There is no end to the making of many books, and much study wearies the body. | 12My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. |
| 13When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man. | 13The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. |
| 14For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil. | 14For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. |
| The Berean Bible (Berean Study Bible (BSB) © 2016, 2018 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. | ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. |
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