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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//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 CEV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></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" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/ecclesiastes/12-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">CEV</a> > Ecclesiastes 12</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div 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">Contemporary English Version</div><div class="chap"><p class="par"><span class="v21_12_1"><span class="reftext" id="Eccl.12.1" class="v21_12_1">1</span>Keep your Creator in mind while you are young! In years to come, you will be burdened down with troubles and say, “I don't enjoy life anymore.”</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="q1"><span class="v21_12_2"><span class="reftext" id="Eccl.12.2" class="v21_12_2">2</span>Someday the light of the sun</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v21_12_2">and the moon and the stars</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v21_12_2">will all seem dim to you.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v21_12_2">Rain clouds will remain</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v21_12_2">over your head.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v21_12_3"><span class="reftext" id="Eccl.12.3" class="v21_12_3">3</span>Your body will grow feeble,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v21_12_3">your teeth will decay,</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v21_12_3">and your eyesight fail.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v21_12_4"><span class="reftext" id="Eccl.12.4" class="v21_12_4">4</span>The noisy grinding of grain</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v21_12_4">and the voices of singers</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v21_12_4">will be shut out</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v21_12_4">by your deaf ears,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v21_12_4">but even the song of a bird</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v21_12_4">will keep you awake.<a href="#fn" id="link_Eccl.12.4!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="q1"><span class="v21_12_5"><span class="reftext" id="Eccl.12.5" class="v21_12_5">5</span>You will be afraid</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v21_12_5">to climb up a hill</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v21_12_5">or walk down a road.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v21_12_5">Your hair will turn as white</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v21_12_5">as almond blossoms.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v21_12_5">You will feel lifeless</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v21_12_5">and drag along</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v21_12_5">like an old grasshopper.</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="q1"><span class="v21_12_5">We each go to our eternal home,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v21_12_5">and the streets here are filled</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v21_12_5">with those who mourn.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v21_12_6"><span class="reftext" id="Eccl.12.6" class="v21_12_6">6</span>The silver cord snaps,</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v21_12_6">the golden bowl breaks;</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v21_12_6">the water pitcher is smashed,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v21_12_6">and the pulley at the well</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v21_12_6">is shattered.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v21_12_7"><span class="reftext" id="Eccl.12.7" class="v21_12_7">7</span>So our bodies return</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v21_12_7">to the earth,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v21_12_7">and the life-giving breath<a href="#fn" id="link_Eccl.12.7!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v21_12_7">returns to God.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v21_12_8"><span class="reftext" id="Eccl.12.8" class="v21_12_8">8</span>Nothing makes sense.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v21_12_8">I have seen it all—</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v21_12_8">nothing makes sense.</span></p><h3 class="s1">Respect and Obey God</h3><p class="par"><span class="v21_12_9"><span class="reftext" id="Eccl.12.9" class="v21_12_9">9</span>I was a wise teacher with much understanding, and I collected a number of proverbs that I had carefully studied. </span><span class="v21_12_10"><span class="reftext" id="Eccl.12.10" class="v21_12_10">10</span>Then I tried to explain these things in the best and most accurate way.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v21_12_11"><span class="reftext" id="Eccl.12.11" class="v21_12_11">11</span>Words of wisdom are like the stick a farmer uses to make animals move. These sayings come from a shepherd,<a href="#fn" id="link_Eccl.12.11!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> and they are like nails that fasten things together.<a href="#fn" id="link_Eccl.12.11!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span><span class="v21_12_12"><span class="reftext" id="Eccl.12.12" class="v21_12_12">12</span>My child, I warn you to stay away from any teachings except these.</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="q1"><span class="v21_12_12">There is no end to books,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v21_12_12">and too much study</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v21_12_12">will wear you out.</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="par"><span class="v21_12_13"><span class="reftext" id="Eccl.12.13" class="v21_12_13">13</span>Everything you were taught can be put into a few words:</span></p><p class="b"></p><p class="q1"><span class="v21_12_13">Respect and obey God!</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v21_12_13">This is what life</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v21_12_13">is all about.</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v21_12_14"><span class="reftext" id="Eccl.12.14" class="v21_12_14">14</span>God will judge</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v21_12_14">everything we do,</span></p><p class="q1"><span class="v21_12_14">even what is done in secret,</span></p><p class="q2"><span class="v21_12_14">whether good or bad.</span></p> <a name="fn"></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:<br /><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">12.4 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">but even the song … awake: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">12.7 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">life-giving breath: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Or “spirit.”</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">12.11 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">a shepherd: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">This may be a reference to God as shepherd (see also Psalm 23.1).</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">12.11 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">These sayings … together: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.</char></note></div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 2006 American Bible Society. 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