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¹ Remember now thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth, while the euil daies come not, nor the yeeres drawe nigh, when thou shalt say, I haue no pleasure in them: ² While the Sunne, or the light, or the moone, or the starres be not darkened, nor the cloudes returne after the raine: ³ In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bowe themselues, and the grinders cease, because they are fewe, and those that looke out of the windowes be darkened: ⁴ And the doores shal be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise vp at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musicke shall be brought low. ⁵ Also when they shalbe afraid of that which is high, and feares shall bee in the way, and the Almond tree shall flourish, and the grashopper shall be a burden, and desire shall faile: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners goe about the streets: ⁶ Or euer the siluer corde be loosed, or the golden bowle be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountaine, or the wheele broken at the cisterne. ⁷ Then shall the dust returne to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall returne vnto God who gaue it.

⁸ Uanitie of vanities (saith the preacher) all is vanitie. ⁹ And moreouer because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge, yea he gaue good heed, and sought out, and set in order many prouerbes. ¹⁰ The preacher sought to finde out acceptable words, and that which was written was vpright, euen wordes of trueth. ¹¹ The wordes of the wise are as goads, and as nailes fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are giuen from one shepheard. ¹² And further, by these, my sonne, be admonished: of making many bookes there is no end, and much studie is a wearinesse of the flesh.

¹³ Let vs heare the conclusion of the whole matter: Feare God, and keepe his commandements, for this is the whole duetie of man. ¹⁴ For God shal bring euery worke into iudgement, with euer secret thing, whether it bee good, or whether it bee euill.