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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Ecclesiastes 12 NIV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/ecclesiastes/12.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" 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id="topheading"><a href="../ecclesiastes/11.htm" title="Ecclesiastes 11">◄</a> Ecclesiastes 12 <a href="../songs/1.htm" title="Song of Solomon 1">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">New International Version</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/niv/esv/ecclesiastes/12.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><div class="stanza"><p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ecclesiastes/12-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>Remember your Creator</p><p class="line2">in the days of your youth,</p><p class="line1">before the days of trouble come</p><p class="line2">and the years approach when you will say,</p><p class="line2">“I find no pleasure in them”—</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ecclesiastes/12-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>before the sun and the light</p><p class="line2">and the moon and the stars grow dark,</p><p class="line2">and the clouds return after the rain;</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ecclesiastes/12-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>when the keepers of the house tremble,</p><p class="line2">and the strong men stoop,</p><p class="line1">when the grinders cease because they are few,</p><p class="line2">and those looking through the windows grow dim;</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ecclesiastes/12-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>when the doors to the street are closed</p><p class="line2">and the sound of grinding fades;</p><p class="line1">when people rise up at the sound of birds,</p><p class="line2">but all their songs grow faint;</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ecclesiastes/12-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>when people are afraid of heights</p><p class="line2">and of dangers in the streets;</p><p class="line1">when the almond tree blossoms</p><p class="line2">and the grasshopper drags itself along</p><p class="line2">and desire no longer is stirred.</p><p class="line1">Then people go to their eternal home</p><p class="line2">and mourners go about the streets.</p></div> <div class="stanza"><p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ecclesiastes/12-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>Remember him—before the silver cord is severed,</p><p class="line2">and the golden bowl is broken;</p><p class="line1">before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,</p><p class="line2">and the wheel broken at the well,</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ecclesiastes/12-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>and the dust returns to the ground it came from,</p><p class="line2">and the spirit returns to God who gave it.</p></div> <div class="stanza"><p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ecclesiastes/12-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. <span class="nivfootnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or the leader of the assembly; also in verses 9 and 10">a</a></sup></span> </p><p class="line2">“Everything is meaningless!”</p></div> <p class="sectionhead">The Conclusion of the Matter</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ecclesiastes/12-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ecclesiastes/12-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ecclesiastes/12-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one shepherd. <span class="nivfootnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or Shepherd">b</a></sup></span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ecclesiastes/12-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.</p><p class="reg">Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.</p> <div class="stanza"><p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ecclesiastes/12-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>Now all has been heard;</p><p class="line2">here is the conclusion of the matter:</p><p class="line1">Fear God and keep his commandments,</p><p class="line2">for this is the duty of all mankind.</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/ecclesiastes/12-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>For God will bring every deed into judgment,</p><p class="line2">including every hidden thing,</p><p class="line2">whether it is good or evil.</p></div><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><A name="footnotes"></a><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="nivfootnotesbot">a</span> <span class="fnverse">8</span> <span class="footnotebot">Or <i>the leader of the assembly</i>; also in verses 9 and 10</span><br><span class="nivfootnotesbot">b</span> <span class="fnverse">11</span> <span class="footnotebot">Or <i>Shepherd</i></span><br><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center"><p class="ntext"><a href="http://niv.scripturetext.com/version.htm">New International Version</a> (NIV)</p><p class="ntext2">Holy Bible, New International Version&reg, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by <a href="http://biblica.com">Biblica, Inc.</a>® Used by permission. 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