Through My Bible Yr 02 – November 21

Ecclesiastes 11:9 – 12:14

Through My Bible – November 21

Ecclesiastes 11:9 – 12:14 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Ecclesiastes 11

Advice to the Young

9 Young man, be happy while you are a child, and let your heart make you glad during the days of your youth. Walk down the roads on which your heart leads you and on the way your eyes see—but know that for all these, God will bring you into judgment.

10 Put frustration out of your mind, and ignore the troubles of your body, because youth and the dawn of life are vapor. [1]

Ecclesiastes 12

1 So remember your Creator in the days of your youth,
before the bad days come and the years arrive when you will say,
    “I have no delight in them,”
2 before the sun and the light of the moon and the stars are darkened,
before the clouds return after the rain,
3 before the day when the watchmen of the house tremble,
and the strong men are bent over,
and the women who grind grain cease because they are few,
and those watching through the windows can barely see.
4 Then the double doors to the street are shut,
    as the grinding of the mill grows quiet.
A person wakes up at the sound of a bird,
but all the sounds of music are muffled.
5 Then they fear heights and terrors along the road.
The almond blossoms become white.
The grasshopper drags himself along,
and the caperberry has no effect. [2]
Why? Because the man is heading to his eternal home.
Then the wailing mourners will go around in the street.
6 Remember your Creator
    before the silver cord is snapped,
    and the golden bowl is broken,
    before the jar is shattered by the spring,
    and the waterwheel is broken by the well,
7     and the dust goes back into the ground—just as it was before,
    and the spirit goes back to God who gave it.

8 “Nothing but vapor,” said Ecclesiastes, the speaker. [3] “It is all vapor.”

9 Besides being wise, Ecclesiastes taught the people knowledge, and he weighed, collected, and arranged many proverbs. 10 Ecclesiastes searched to find just the right words. What was written was honest—they were true words. 11 Sayings of wise men are like cattle prods, and those sayings collected by experts are like firmly fixed nails, given by one Shepherd.

12 My son, beware of anything in addition to these. There is no end of making many books, and much study wears out the body.

13 This is the conclusion of the matter. Everything has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments. For mankind, this is everything. [4]

14 Yes, God will bring everything that is done into judgment, including everything that is hidden, whether good or evil.

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 11:10 Or because both youth and the coming darkness are vapor
  2. Ecclesiastes 12:5 Or the caperberry shrivels up. The caperberry was associated with sexual vitality.
  3. Ecclesiastes 12:8 Ecclesiastes is not a personal name, but a title for a person who gathers a group of people to speak to them. The Hebrew word qoheleth here has the definite article, showing that it is a title.
  4. Ecclesiastes 12:13 Or this applies to everyone

The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.