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¹ Remember nowe thy Creator in the daies of thy youth, whiles the euill daies come not, nor the yeeres approche, wherein thou shalt say, I haue no pleasure in them:² Whiles the sunne is not darke, nor ye light, nor the moone, nor the starres, nor the cloudes returne after the raine:³ When the keepers of ye house shal tremble, & the strong men shal bow them selues, and the grinders shal cease, because they are few, and they waxe darke that looke out by ye windowes:⁴ And the doores shall be shut without by the base sound of the grinding, and he shall rise vp at the voice of the birde: and all the daughters of singing shall be abased.⁵ Also they shalbe afraide of the hie thing, and feare shalbe in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grassehopper shall be a burden, and concupiscence shall be driuen away: for man goeth to the house of his age, and the mourners goe about in the streete.⁶ Whiles the siluer coarde is not lengthened, nor the golden ewer broken, nor the pitcher broken at the wel, nor the wheele broken at the cisterne:⁷ And dust returne to the earth as it was, and the spirit returne to God that gaue it.

⁸ Vanitie of vanities, saieth the Preacher, all is vanitie.⁹ And the more wise the Preacher was, the more he taught the people knowledge, and caused them to heare, and searched foorth, and prepared many parables.¹⁰ The Preacher sought to finde out pleasant wordes, and an vpright writing, euen the wordes of trueth.¹¹ The wordes of the wise are like goads, and like nailes fastened by the masters of the assemblies, which are giuen by one pastour.¹² And of other things beside these, my sone, take thou heede: for there is none ende in making many bookes, and much reading is a wearines of the flesh.

¹³ Let vs heare the end of all: feare God and keepe his commandements: for this is the whole duetie of man.¹⁴ For God will bring euery worke vnto iudgement, with euery secret thing, whether it be good or euill.