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Ecclesiastes 12
International Children’s Bible
Ecclesiastes 12
International Children’s Bible
The Problems of Old Age
12 Remember your Creator while you are young.
Your old age is coming
when you will have many troubles.
When that time comes,
you won’t have much to enjoy.
2 When you become old,
the light from the sun, moon and stars will seem dark to you.
It will seem as if the rain clouds never go away.
3 At that time your arms will lose their strength.
Your strong legs will become weak and bent.
Your teeth will fall out so you cannot chew.
Your eyes will not see clearly.
4 Your ears will be deaf to the noise in the streets.
You will barely hear singing.
The sound of the millstone grinding your grain will seem very quiet.
But you’ll wake up when a bird first starts singing!
5 You will fear high places.
And you will be afraid to go for a walk because you may fall.
Your hair will become white like the flowers on an almond tree.
You will limp along like a grasshopper when you walk.
Your desires will be gone.
Then you will go to your everlasting home.
And people will go to your funeral.
6 Remember God before your life is snapped like a silver chain.
Remember God before your life is broken like a golden bowl.
It will be as useless as a broken bucket at the spring.
It will be no good, like a broken wheel at a water well.
7 Your body will become part of the dust of the earth again.
But your spirit will return to God who gave it.
8 Everything is useless!
The Teacher says that everything is useless.
Conclusion
9 The Teacher was very wise. He taught the people what he knew. The Teacher very carefully thought about, studied and set in order many wise teachings. 10 The Teacher looked for just the right words. He wrote teachings that are dependable and true.
11 Words from wise men are like sharp sticks used to guide animals. These words are like nails that have been driven in firmly. They are wise teachings that come from God the Shepherd. 12 So be careful, my son, about other teachings. People are always writing books. And too much study will make you very tired.
13 Now, everything has been heard.
Here is my final advice:
Honor God and obey his commands.
This is the most important thing people can do.
14 God knows everything people do,
even the things done in secret.
He knows all the good and all the bad.
He will judge everything people do.
Ecclesiastes 12
New International Version
Ecclesiastes 12
New International Version
12 Remember(A) your Creator
in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble(B) come
and the years approach when you will say,
“I find no pleasure in them”—
2 before the sun and the light
and the moon and the stars grow dark,
and the clouds return after the rain;
3 when the keepers of the house tremble,
and the strong men stoop,
when the grinders cease because they are few,
and those looking through the windows grow dim;
4 when the doors to the street are closed
and the sound of grinding fades;
when people rise up at the sound of birds,
but all their songs grow faint;(C)
5 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(D)
and mourners(E) go about the streets.
6 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,
7 and the dust returns(F) to the ground it came from,
and the spirit returns to God(G) who gave it.(H)
The Conclusion of the Matter
9 Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs.(K) 10 The Teacher(L) searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true.(M)
11 The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails(N)—given by one shepherd.[b] 12 Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.
Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.(O)
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 12:8 Or the leader of the assembly; also in verses 9 and 10
- Ecclesiastes 12:11 Or Shepherd
International Children’s Bible (ICB) 
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.