THE WORD OF GOD PRESENTED:
Ecclesiastes 12:1-8 King James Version - Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; while the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain: in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened, and the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low; also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets: or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.
THE WORD OF GOD EXPLAINED:
Ecclesiastes 12:1-8 Easy-to-Read Version - Remember your Creator while you are young, before the bad times come—before the years come when you say, “I have wasted my life.” Remember your Creator while you are young, before the time comes when the sun and the moon and the stars become dark to you—before problems come again and again like one storm after another. At that time your arms will lose their strength. Your legs will become weak and bent. Your teeth will fall out, and you will not be able to chew your food. Your eyes will not see clearly. You will become hard of hearing. You will not hear the noise in the streets. Even the stone grinding your grain will seem quiet to you. You will not be able to hear the women singing. But even the sound of a bird singing will wake you early in the morning because you will not be able to sleep. You will be afraid of high places. You will be afraid of tripping over every small thing in your path. Your hair will become white like the flowers on an almond tree. You will drag yourself along like a grasshopper when you walk. You will lose your desire, and then you will go to your eternal home. The mourners will gather in the streets as they carry your body to the grave. Remember your Creator while you are young, before the silver rope snaps and the golden bowl is crushed like a jar broken at the well, like a stone cover on a well that breaks and falls in. Your body came from the earth. And when you die, it will return to the earth. But your spirit came from God, and when you die, it will return to Him. Everything is so meaningless. The Teacher says that it is all a waste of time!
Ecclesiastes 12:1-8 Good News Translation - So remember your Creator while you are still young, before those dismal days and years come when you will say, "I don't enjoy life."That is when the light of the sun, the moon, and the stars will grow dim for you, and the rain clouds will never pass away. Then your arms, that have protected you, will tremble, and your legs, now strong, will grow weak. Your teeth will be too few to chew your food, and your eyes too dim to see clearly. Your ears will be deaf to the noise of the street. You will barely be able to hear the mill as it grinds or music as it plays, but even the song of a bird will wake you from sleep. You will be afraid of high places, and walking will be dangerous. Your hair will turn white; you will hardly be able to drag yourself along, and all desire will be gone. We are going to our final resting place, and then there will be mourning in the streets. The silver chain will snap, and the golden lamp will fall and break; the rope at the well will break, and the water jar will be shattered. Our bodies will return to the dust of the earth, and the breath of life will go back to God, who gave it to us. Useless, useless, said the Philosopher. It is all useless.
AT SEVENTY-SEVEN, I CAN ATTEST
TO THE TRUTH OF THIS TEXT!
There has never been a preacher worth his salt, that did not attempt to explain the King James Version of a passage, to his congregation. How many times did I say to my little flock, "In other words...?" God wants His Word understood; that is why Jesus repeatedly said things like, "You have heard it said . . . . but I say unto you . . . ." I have been a student of God's Word all my born again life of forty-nine years, and until I read the above passage in these two versions, I had no clue what the King James Version was saying. But then again, I have never been the sharpest tool in the shed!
GOD BLESS YOU AS YOU SEEK UNDERSTANDING
OF GOD'S PRECIOUS MESSAGE TO YOU!
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