Ecclesiastes 12:1-8
New King James Version
Seek God in Early Life
12 Remember(A) now your Creator in the days of your youth,
Before the [a]difficult days come,
And the years draw near (B)when you say,
“I have no pleasure in them”:
2 While the sun and the light,
The moon and the stars,
Are not darkened,
And the clouds do not return after the rain;
3 In the day when the keepers of the house tremble,
And the strong men bow down;
When the grinders cease because they are few,
And those that look through the windows grow dim;
4 When the doors are shut in the streets,
And the sound of grinding is low;
When one rises up at the sound of a bird,
And all (C)the daughters of music are brought low.
5 Also they are afraid of height,
And of terrors in the way;
When the almond tree blossoms,
The grasshopper is a burden,
And desire fails.
For man goes to (D)his eternal home,
And (E)the mourners go about the streets.
6 Remember your Creator before the silver cord is [b]loosed,
Or the golden bowl is broken,
Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain,
Or the wheel broken at the well.
7 (F)Then the dust will return to the earth as it was,
(G)And the spirit will return to God (H)who gave it.
8 “Vanity(I) of vanities,” says the Preacher,
“All is vanity.”
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 12:1 Lit. evil
- Ecclesiastes 12:6 So with Qr., Tg.; Kt. removed; LXX, Vg. broken
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Bible Gateway Recommends
![NKJV, The Bible Study Bible, Comfort Print: A Study Guide for Every Chapter of the Bible](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0044/1309/6047/files/9780785253235.jpg?v=1700561126)
![NKJV, The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0044/1309/6047/products/9780310432760.jpg?v=1644570526)
![NKJV, Woman's Study Bible, Red Letter, Full-Color: Receiving God's Truth for Balance, Hope, and Transformation](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0044/1309/6047/products/9780718086749.jpg?v=1645115239)
![NKJV, Abide Bible, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New King James Version](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0044/1309/6047/files/9780785226628.jpg?v=1710666135)
![NKJV, Spirit-Filled Life Bible, Third Edition, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Kingdom Equipping Through the Power of the Word](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0044/1309/6047/products/9780529100146.jpg?v=1645115140)
![NKJV Study Bible, Full-Color, Comfort Print: The Complete Resource for Studying God’s Word](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0044/1309/6047/products/9780785220626.jpg?v=1644700867)