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¹ Yet remember thy Creator, in the days of thy vigour, - or ever come in, the days of discomfort, and the years arrive, in which thou shalt say - I have, in them, no pleasure;² Or ever be darkened - the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, - and the clouds return after a downpour of rain;³ In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the men of might bow themselves, - and the grinders cease because they are few, and they who look through the windows are darkened;⁴ And the doors in the street be closed, when the sound of the mill become low, - and one rise at the chirp of a small bird, and low-voiced be all the daughters of song;⁵ Yea, at what is high, they be in fear, and there be, terrors, in the way, and the almond be rejected, and the grasshopper drag itself along, and desire perish, - for man is going to his age-abiding home, when the wailers shall go round in the streets;⁶ Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, - or the bucket by the fountain be shivered, or the wheel at the well be broken;⁷ And the dust return to the earth, as it was, - and, the spirit, return unto God, who gave it.

⁸ Vanity of vanities, saith the Proclaimer, all, is vanity.⁹ Besides that, the Proclaimer being wise, - still further taught knowledge unto the people, and weighed and searched, arranged proverbs in abundance.¹⁰ The Proclaimer sought to find out words giving delight, and to note down rightly, the words of truth.¹¹ The words of the wise, are as goads, yea, as driven nails, their well-ordered sayings, - given from one shepherd.¹² And besides, from them, my son, be admonished, - Of making many books, there is no end, and, much study, is a weariness of the flesh.

¹³ The conclusion of the matter - the whole, let us hear, - Towards God, be reverent, and, his commandments, observe, for, this, concerneth all mankind.¹⁴ For, every work, will God bring into judgment, with every hidden thing, - whether good, or evil.