Ecclesiastes 12 – read and compare multiple versions of the Bible

World English Bible

Ecclesiastes 12 (WEBP)

[1] Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw near, when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them;”
[2] Before the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain;
[3] in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look out of the windows are darkened,
[4] and the doors shall be shut in the street; when the sound of the grinding is low, and one shall rise up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;
[5] yes, they shall be afraid of heights, and terrors will be on the way; and the almond tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail; because man goes to his everlasting home, and the mourners go about the streets;
[6] before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the spring, or the wheel broken at the cistern,
[7] and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
[8] “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher. “All is vanity!”
[9] Further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge. Yes, he pondered, sought out, and set in order many proverbs.
[10] The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written blamelessly, words of truth.
[11] The words of the wise are like goads; and like nails well fastened are words from the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.
[12] Furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
[13] This is the end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.
[14] For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it is good, or whether it is evil.

Scripture quotations are taken from The World English Bible™ of eBible.org, 2020 stable text edition. It is in the public domain.

King James w/Strong’s #s

Ecclesiastes 12 (KJVS)

[1] Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
[2] while the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:
[3] in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,
[4] and the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;
[5] also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:
[6] or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
[7] Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
[8] Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; all is vanity.
[9] And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.
[10] The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.
[11] The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.
[12] And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
[13] Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
[14] For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Ecclesiastes 12:9 Or, the more wise the preacher was, etc.
Ecclesiastes 12:10 Heb. words of delight
Ecclesiastes 12:12 Or, reading
Ecclesiastes 12:13 Or, the end of the matter, even all that hath been heard, is

Scripture quotations from The Authorized King James Version of the Holy Bible, using the standardized text of 1769. It is in the public domain.

Greek Bible (LXX/BYZ)

Ecclesiastes 12 (BYZ)

[1] Καὶ () μνήσθητι () τοῦ () κτίσαντός () σε () ἐν () ἡμέραις () νεότητός () σου, () ἕως () ὅτου () μὴ () ἔλθωσιν () ἡμέραι () τῆς () κακίας () καὶ () φθάσωσιν () ἔτη, () ἐν () οἷς () ἐρεῖς () Οὐκ () ἔστιν () μοι () ἐν () αὐτοῖς () θέλημα· ()
[2] ἕως () οὗ () μὴ () σκοτισθῇ () ὁ () ἥλιος () καὶ () τὸ () φῶς () καὶ () ἡ () σελήνη () καὶ () οἱ () ἀστέρες, () καὶ () ἐπιστρέψωσιν () τὰ () νέφη () ὀπίσω () τοῦ () ὑετοῦ· ()
[3] ἐν () ἡμέρᾳ, () ᾗ () ἐὰν () σαλευθῶσιν () φύλακες () τῆς () οἰκίας () καὶ () διαστραφῶσιν () ἄνδρες () τῆς () δυνάμεως, () καὶ () ἤργησαν () αἱ () ἀλήθουσαι, () ὅτι () ὠλιγώθησαν, καὶ () σκοτάσουσιν αἱ () βλέπουσαι () ἐν () ταῖς () ὀπαῖς· ()
[4] καὶ () κλείσουσιν () θύρας () ἐν () ἀγορᾷ () ἐν () ἀσθενείᾳ () φωνῆς () τῆς () ἀληθούσης, () καὶ () ἀναστήσεται () εἰς () φωνὴν () τοῦ () στρουθίου, () καὶ () ταπεινωθήσονται () πᾶσαι () αἱ () θυγατέρες () τοῦ () ᾄσματος·
[5] καί () γε () ἀπὸ () ὕψους () ὄψονται, () καὶ () θάμβοι () ἐν () τῇ () ὁδῷ· () καὶ () ἀνθήσῃ τὸ () ἀμύγδαλον, καὶ () παχυνθῇ () ἡ () ἀκρίς, () καὶ () διασκεδασθῇ ἡ () κάππαρις, ὅτι () ἐπορεύθη () ὁ () ἄνθρωπος () εἰς () οἶκον () αἰῶνος () αὐτοῦ, () καὶ () ἐκύκλωσαν () ἐν () ἀγορᾷ () οἱ () κοπτόμενοι· ()
[6] ἕως () ὅτου () μὴ () ἀνατραπῇ () σχοινίον () τοῦ () ἀργυρίου, () καὶ () συνθλιβῇ () ἀνθέμιον τοῦ () χρυσίου, () καὶ () συντριβῇ () ὑδρία () ἐπὶ () τὴν () πηγήν, () καὶ () συντροχάσῃ ὁ () τροχὸς () ἐπὶ () τὸν () λάκκον,
[7] καὶ () ἐπιστρέψῃ () ὁ () χοῦς () ἐπὶ () τὴν () γῆν, () ὡς () ἦν, () καὶ () τὸ () πνεῦμα () ἐπιστρέψῃ () πρὸς () τὸν () θεόν, () ὃς () ἔδωκεν () αὐτό. ()
[8] Ματαιότης () ματαιοτήτων, () εἶπεν () ὁ () Ἐκκλησιαστής, τὰ () πάντα () ματαιότης. ()
[9] Καὶ () περισσὸν () ὅτι () ἐγένετο () Ἐκκλησιαστὴς σοφός, () ἔτι () ἐδίδαξεν () γνῶσιν () σὺν () τὸν () λαόν, () καὶ () οὖς () ἐξιχνιάσεται κόσμιον () παραβολῶν. ()
[10] Πολλὰ () ἐζήτησεν () Ἐκκλησιαστὴς τοῦ () εὑρεῖν () λόγους () θελήματος () καὶ () γεγραμμένον () εὐθύτητος, () λόγους () ἀληθείας. ()
[11] Λόγοι () σοφῶν () ὡς () τὰ () βούκεντρα καὶ () ὡς () ἧλοι () πεφυτευμένοι, () οἳ () παρὰ () τῶν () συναγμάτων ἐδόθησαν () ἐκ () ποιμένος () ἑνὸς () καὶ () περισσὸν () ἐξ () αὐτῶν. ()
[12] Υἱέ () μου, () φύλαξαι () ποιῆσαι () βιβλία () πολλά· () οὐκ () ἔστιν () περασμός, καὶ () μελέτη πολλὴ () κόπωσις σαρκός. ()
[13] Τέλος () λόγου () τὸ () πᾶν () ἀκούεται () Τὸν () θεὸν () φοβοῦ () καὶ () τὰς () ἐντολὰς () αὐτοῦ () φύλασσε, () ὅτι () τοῦτο () πᾶς () ὁ () ἄνθρωπος. ()
[14] Ὅτι () σὺν () πᾶν () τὸ () ποίημα () ὁ () θεὸς () ἄξει () ἐν () κρίσει () ἐν () παντὶ () παρεωραμένῳ, ἐὰν () ἀγαθὸν () καὶ () ἐὰν () πονηρόν. ()

Old Testament scripture quotations and versification from Septuaginta, edited by Alfred Rahlfs (Stuttgart: Württembergische Bibelanstalt, 1935). New Testament quotations are from the Byzantine Text (Guardian Press, LLC, Robinson-Pierpont Byzantine Textform, 2026). Both are in the public domain.