| English Standard Version | New International Version |
| 1Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; | 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 are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, | 2before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain; |
| 3in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed, | 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; |
| 4and the doors on the street are shut—when 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— | 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; |
| 5they are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and desire fails, because man is going to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets— | 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. |
| 6before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, | 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 earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. | 7and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. |
| 8Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity. | 8"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Everything is meaningless!" |
| 9Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. | 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 Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth. | 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, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. | 11The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails--given by one shepherd. |
| 12My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. | 12Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body. |
| 13The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. | 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, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. | 14For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | 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. |
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