1 Be mindful of your Creator when you are young, before the time of sorrow comes when you have to say, "This gives me no pleasure,"
2 and before the sun, moon and stars withdraw their light, before the clouds gather again after the rain.
3 On the day when the guardians of the house tremble, when sturdy men are bowed and those at the mill stop working because they are too few, when it grows dim for those looking through the windows,
4 and the doors are shut and the noise of the mill grows faint, the sparrow stops chirping and the bird-song is silenced,
5 when one fears the slopes and to walk is frightening; yet the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper is fat and the caperberry bears fruit that serves no purpose, because man goes forward to his eternal home and mourners gather in the street,
6 even before the silver chain is snapped or the golden globe is shattered, before the pitcher is broken at the fountain or the wheel at the mill,
7 before the dust returns to the earth from which it came and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
8 Meaningless! meaningless! the Teacher says; all is meaningless!
9 Besides being a wise man Qoheleth taught the people; he listened, studied and classified a great number of proverbs.
10 Qoheleth tried to write in a pleasant style and express frankly words of truth.
11 The words of the wise are spurs, their collected sayings are like a fence whose many pegs have been assembled by one shepherd.
12 Beware, my son, of searching beyond. Writing many books would be useless, and intense study wearies the body.
13 Conclusion: fear God and obey his precepts; for man depends entirely on this.
14 God brings every deed to judgment, all that is hidden, be it good or bad.
Versículos relacionados com Ecclesiastes, 12:
Ecclesiastes chapter 12 presents a reflection on old age, death and the importance of fear of God. The author points out that youth and health are fleeting and that in the end all men die. He urges the reader to remember the Creator while he is still young and preparing for death day. Following are five verses related to the topics addressed in Ecclesiastes 12:
Psalm 90:12: "Teach us to tell our days, that we may reach wise heart." The author of Ecclesiastes highlights the importance of recognizing the brevity of life and enjoying the time we have. This verse of Psalm 90 also emphasizes the need to remember that our life is fleeting and seeking wisdom.
Job 14:5: "If your days are determined, if the number of your months is with you, and if you have boundaries you cannot pass." Ecclesiastes also talks about human life to have a limit established by God. This verse of Job emphasizes the idea that the duration of human life is finite and under God's control.
Hebrews 9:27: "And as men are ordered to die once, after that the judgment." The author of Ecclesiastes emphasizes the inevitability of death. This verse of Hebrews points out that we all die once and then face God's judgment.
2 Corinthians 5:10: "For we all need to be manifest before the court of Christ, that each one receives what he did through the body, according to what he practiced, good or evil." Ecclesiastes encourages to fear God and remember Him while we are young. This verse of 2 Corinthians highlights the need to live fairly and being responsible for our actions, knowing that one day we will account before God.
Luke 12:20: "But God said unto him, Foolish, tonight shall your soul ask you; and what do you have prepared, who will it be for?" Ecclesiastes urges the reader to remember the Creator while he is still young and preparing for the day of death. This verse of Luke emphasizes the importance of being prepared for death at any moment, for we do not know when it will come.
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