Remember Your Creator 1 UDB While you are still young, keep thinking about God, who created you. Do that before you are old and you experience many troubles, during the years when you say, "I no longer enjoy being alive." BSB BSB: Remember 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,”
2 UDB When you become old, the light from the sun and moon and stars will seem dim to you, and it will seem that the rain clouds always return quickly after it rains. BSB BSB: before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is darkened, and the clouds return after the rain,
3 UDB Then your arms that you use to protect yourself, and your legs that support your body will become weak. Many of the teeth that you use to grind your food will fall out, and your eyes that you use to look out of windows will not see clearly. BSB BSB: on 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,
4 UDB Your ears will no longer hear the noise in the streets, and you will no longer be able to hear clearly the sound of people grinding grain with millstones. You will be awakened in the morning by hearing the birds singing, but you will not be able to hear well the songs that the birds sing. BSB BSB: when 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,
5 UDB You will be afraid to be in high places and afraid of dangers on the roads that you walk on. Your hair will become white like the flowers of almond trees. When you try to walk, you will drag yourself along like grasshoppers, and you will no longer desire a woman at all. Then you will die and go to your eternal home, and the people who will mourn for you will be in the streets. BSB BSB: when 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.
6 UDB Think much about God now, because soon our lives will end, like silver chains or golden bowls that break easily, or like pitchers that are broken at the water fountain, or like broken pulleys at a well. BSB BSB: Remember 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,
8 UDB So I, the Teacher, say again that everything is temporary and useless. BSB BSB: “Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher. “Everything is futile!”
The Whole Duty of Man 9 UDB I, the Teacher, was considered to be a very wise man, and I taught the people many things. I assembled and wrote down many proverbs, and I carefully thought about them and put them in order. BSB BSB: Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also taught the people knowledge; he pondered, searched out, and arranged many proverbs.
10 UDB I searched for words that would be pleasing to hear, and what I have written is reliable and true. BSB BSB: The Teacher searched to find delightful sayings and to record accurate words of truth.
11 UDB The things that I and other wise people say give directions, and they are like nails that fix things together and last a long time. When people follow clear and understandable directions, they know what is right, and, so then they can do it. The sayings of the wise are like our shepherd who guides us where we need to go. BSB BSB: The words of the wise are like goads, and the anthologies of the masters are like firmly embedded nails driven by a single Shepherd.
12 UDB So, my son, pay careful attention to what I have written, and choose carefully what you read that others have written. This work of writing many books is endless. Trying to study them all will be an endless task. BSB BSB: And by these, my son, be further warned: There is no end to the making of many books, and much study wearies the body.
13 UDB Now you have heard all that I have told you, and here is the conclusion: Revere God, and obey his commandments, because those commandments summarize everything that people should do. BSB BSB: When 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.
14 UDB And do not forget that God will judge everything that we do, good things and bad things, even things that we do secretly. BSB BSB: For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.