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before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return with[a] the rain; in the day when the guards of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the women who grind cease working because they are few, and those who look through the windows see dimly; when the doors on the street are shut, and the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low;(A) when one is afraid of heights, and terrors are in the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along,[b] and the caper bud falls; because all must go to their eternal home, and the mourners will go about the streets;(B) before the silver cord is snapped,[c] and the golden bowl is broken, and the pitcher is broken at the fountain, and the wheel broken at the cistern, and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the breath[d] returns to God who gave it.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. 12.2 Or after
  2. 12.5 Or is a burden
  3. 12.6 Syr Vg Compare Gk: Heb is removed
  4. 12.7 Or the spirit

before the sun and the light
    and the moon and the stars grow dark,
    and the clouds return after the rain;
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;
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;(A)
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(B)
    and mourners(C) 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(D) to the ground it came from,
    and the spirit returns to God(E) who gave it.(F)

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