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    before the silver cord snaps and the gold bowl shatters;
        the jar is broken at the spring and the wheel is crushed at the pit;
    before dust returns to the earth as it was before
        and the life-breath returns to God who gave it.

Motto and conclusion

Perfectly pointless, says the Teacher, everything is pointless.

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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(A) to the ground it came from,
    and the spirit returns to God(B) who gave it.(C)

“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.[a](D)
    “Everything is meaningless!(E)

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Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 12:8 Or the leader of the assembly; also in verses 9 and 10