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Ecclesiastes 11:7-9
New Catholic Bible
Ecclesiastes 11:7-9
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]
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.
