Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:14
New Catholic Bible
Poem on Youth and Old Age[a]
In the Evening of Life
God and Light
7 Light is sweet,
and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun.
8 No matter how many years you may live,
you should enjoy all of them,
for remember that the days of darkness will be many.
Everything that is to come is vanity.
Rejoice in Your Youth
9 Rejoice, young man, while you are young,
and make the most of the days of your youth.
Follow the inclinations of your heart
and the desires of your eyes.
Yet remember that for all these things
God will demand an account.[b]
10 Banish grief from your heart
and ignore the sufferings of your body,
for youth and the prime of life are fleeting.
Chapter 12
Remember Your Creator . . .
1 Remember your Creator in the days of your youth
before the bad times come
and the years draw near when you will say,
“I take no pleasure in them”;
2 before the sun and the light of day
give way to darkness,
before the moon and the stars grow dim
and the clouds return after the rain;
3 [c]when the guardians of the house tremble
and the strong men are bent over,
and the women who grind the meal
cease working because they are few in number,
and those who look through the windows
realize that their eyesight is failing;
4 when the doors to the street are shut
and the sound of grinding begins to fade,
when one waits to hear the chirping of a bird,
but all the songbirds are silent;
5 when one is afraid of heights
and is concerned about dangers on the streets.
And You Return to Your Eternal Home
Remember him—when the almond tree blossoms
and the grasshopper is sluggish
and desire is no longer stirred,
and you return to your eternal home
while the mourners assemble in the streets.
6 Remember him—before the silver cord is snapped
or the golden bowl is broken
or the pitcher is shattered at the spring
or the wheel is broken at the well
7 and the dust returns to the earth from which it came
and the spirit returns to God[d] who gave it.
Final Editor’s Note
8 Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth;
all things are vanity.
9 In addition to his wisdom, Qoheleth taught the people knowledge, having weighed, studied, and arranged many proverbs. 10 Qoheleth sought to express his thoughts in a pleasing way and to convey truths with precision.
11 The sayings of the wise are as sharp as goads; like spikes firmly positioned are the lessons offered by a single shepherd. 12 In regard to anything beyond these, my child, beware. There is no end to the writing of many books, and extensive study results in a weariness of the flesh.
13 This is the end of my teaching.
All has been heard.
Fear God[e] and keep his commandments,
for that is the responsibility of everyone.
14 For God will bring to judgment all of our deeds[f]
and reveal all of our secrets,
whether good or bad.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 11:7 This section is one of the most beautiful poetic compositions of the Bible. It sings of the sun and the joy of youth with a touch of melancholy. This is followed by a moving portrait of old age that is very fair and very true (Eccl 12:3-5).
The writer speaks of an eternal home, although this means a survival of which he knows nothing. As the dust returns to the earth, the breath, i.e., the life, returns to God who, as it were, stores it up. Our author, who sees the world as an eternal return of all things (see ch. 1), can also speak of a return to God. - Ecclesiastes 11:9 God will demand an account: hence, every detail of life is in no way meaningless or vanity but of great importance.
- Ecclesiastes 12:3 The usual interpretation is this: the guardians: the hands; the strong men: the legs; the grind[ers] . . . and those who look through the windows: the teeth and eyes; the doors: the lips; grinding: the mouth. Next there is reference to the failure of hearing; the blossoming of the almond tree: white hair; the grasshopper: sexual vigor.
- Ecclesiastes 12:7 The dust returns to the earth . . . and the spirit returns to God: the part of human beings that is earthly (dust) returns to earth, but the part that comes from God (spirit) returns to God who gave it—which foreshadows the continuation of life with God.
- Ecclesiastes 12:13 Fear God: reverence for God is the basis of wisdom (see Ps 111:10; Prov 1:7; 9:10) as well as its content (see Job 28:28) and the responsibility of everyone.
- Ecclesiastes 12:14 God will bring to judgment all of our deeds: see Eccl 3:17; 8:12-13; 11:9 and note; Mt 12:36; 1 Cor 3:12-15; 2 Cor 5:9-10; Heb 4:12-13.
Thus, at the end of this search, human beings are, as it were, liberated from false religious efforts as well as all pessimism. They discover that they are worth more than what they can possess and more than the situations that they wish to dominate. In the end, conscious of their limits, they do not rebel but learn to accept a true joy without any illusions. Abandoning all thoughts of vindication or fear, they adore the mystery of God with human freedom. The path to hope becomes possible.
