1Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them”— 2before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain; 3when 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; 4when 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; 5when 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 and mourners go about the streets.
6Remember 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, 7and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
8“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.⚓ “Everything is meaningless!”
The Conclusion of the Matter
9Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. 10The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true. 11The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one shepherd.⚓12Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body. 13Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. 14For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
12
1Thaus koj tseed hluas koj ca le ncu txug tug kws tswm koj ua ntej kws kev txom nyem nyuaj sab tsw tau lug txug, hab lub naj lub xyoo tsw tau lug txug kws koj yuav has tas, “Kuv tsw muaj kev zoo sab xyiv faab rua lub naj lub xyoo ntawd le,” 2yog ua ntej kws lub nub hab kev kaaj hab lub hli hab tej nub qub tsw tau tsaus, yog thaus naag lug lawm los fuab tseed tsaus quas nti, 3hab cov faaj xwm kws zuv tsev⚓ tshee, hab cov kws muaj zug khoov khoov, hab cov kws zum zeb tsw tau tso tseg vem yog tshuav tuabneeg tsawg, hab cov kws xauj ntawm qhov rais tsw tshua pum kev lawm, 4hab thaus tej qhov rooj kws tawm rua ntawm txujkev kaw taag, hab lub suab zum zeb ntsag tu, hab suab naag suab noog ua rua tuabneeg tswm dheev hab suab nkauj kuj ntsag quas zug, 5hab puab ntshai nyob sau tej chaw sab, hab muaj tej kws ntshai kawg nyob tom tej kev. Yog thaus tej txwv daw tawg paaj hab kooj ntsuag neeg txaav zuj zuav hab txujkev ntshaw kuj pluj taag lawm, vem yog tuabneeg saamswm moog rua lub chaw kws nwg nyob moog ib txhab ib txhws, hab cov kws quaj ntsuag moog moog lug lug huv tej kev. 6Yog ua ntej kws saw nyaj tsw tau tu, hab lub phaaj kub tsw tau tawg hab lub hub dej tsw tau tawg rua ntawm qhov dej txhawv, hab lub lug kws kiv ntaus dej tsw tau luv, 7hab ua ntej kws moov aav rov moog ua aav le qub hab ntsuj plig rov moog cuag Vaajtswv kws pub nwg tuaj. 8Tub laaj lim has tas, “Qhuav qhawv, qhuav qhawv, txhua yaam qhuav qhawv xwb.”
Xaus lug
9Tsw yog tub laaj lim muaj tswvyim xwb, nwg tseed qha kev txawj ntse rua cov pejxeem hab nwg tshuaj saib hab tshawb nrhav hab muab tej paaj lug tib ua ib qeb zuj zug. 10Xwbfwb ua tuab zoo nrhav tej lug kws zoo noog, hab nwg sau tej lug tseeb ncaaj nraim. 11Cov tuabneeg muaj tswvyim tej lug zoo yaam nkaus le tug muv kws ntse zuag quas plag. Tej lug kws ib tug yug yaaj has tau muab sau zog ca ua ke lawm, zoo yaam nkaus le tej ntsa hlau kws muab ntsa ruaj khov. 12Kuv tug tub, ca le ceev faaj tej lug kws has ntxwv rua cov lug nuav. Qhov kws sau ua ntawv ntau yuav muaj tsw txawj kawg le, hab kawm ntau kuj ua kuas txug sav. 13Zaaj nuav tub xaus lawm, tub nov huvsw lawm. Ca le fwm hab paub ntshai Vaajtswv hab tuav rawv nwg tej lug nkaw, vem qhov nuav yog txhua yaam kws tuabneeg yuav tsum ua. 14Vaajtswv yuav muab txhua yaam num hab tej kws ua nraim nreeg lug txav txem tsw has zoo lossws phem.