Ecclesiastes 12 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

And remember your Creator in the days of your youth — before the difficult days arrive, and the years draw near when you'll say, "There's nothing in these that gives me pleasure."

Before the sun and the light grow dark, and the moon and the stars, and the clouds return after the rain —

In the day when the guardians of the house tremble, and the strong men stoop, and the women who grind stop because they are so few, and those who look through the windows see only dimness —

When the doors to the street are shut and the sound of grinding fades low, when you rise at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of song grow quiet —

When they are afraid of heights, and terrors lurk along the road, and the almond tree blossoms white, and the grasshopper drags itself along, and desire fails — because a person is going to their lasting home, and the mourners circle through the streets —

Before the silver cord is snapped, and the golden bowl is shattered, and the pitcher is broken at the spring, and the wheel is crushed at the well —

And the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the breath returns to God who gave it.

"Vapor of vapors," says the Teacher. "Everything is vapor."

Beyond being wise himself, the Teacher also taught the people knowledge. He weighed and searched out and arranged many proverbs.

The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what is written here is honest — words of truth.

The words of the wise are like cattle prods, and their collected sayings are like deeply driven nails — given by one Shepherd.

And beyond these, my son, be warned: there is no end to the making of many books, and too much study wears out the body.

The conclusion, when everything has been heard, is this: Stand in awe of God and keep his commands — this is what it means to be fully human.

Because God will bring every act to judgment — including every hidden thing, whether good or destructive.