Furthermore, people are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and the caper berry is ineffective. For man goes to his eternal (A)home while the (B)mourners move around in the street. Remember your Creator before the silver cord is [a]broken and the (C)golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the spring is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; then the (D)dust will return to the earth as it was, and the [b](E)spirit will return to (F)God who gave it.

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Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 12:6 As in LXX; Heb removed
  2. Ecclesiastes 12:7 Or breath

when people are afraid of heights
    and of dangers in the streets;
when the almond tree blossoms
    and the grasshopper drags itself along
    and desire no longer is stirred.
Then people go to their eternal home(A)
    and mourners(B) go about the streets.

Remember him—before the silver cord is severed,
    and the golden bowl is broken;
before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
    and the wheel broken at the well,
and the dust returns(C) to the ground it came from,
    and the spirit returns to God(D) who gave it.(E)

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