Ecclesiastes 12:6
4 when the doors to the street are shut and the sound of the mill fades away, when one rises at the sound of a bird and all the daughters of song grow faint,
5 when men fear the heights and dangers of the road, when the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper loses its spring, and the caper berry shrivels— for then man goes to his eternal home and mourners walk the streets.
Remember Him before the silver cord is snapped and the golden bowl is crushed, before the pitcher is shattered at the spring and the wheel is broken at the well,
7 before the dust returns to the ground from which it came and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
8 “Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher. “Everything is futile!”
Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Remember Him before the silver cord is snapped and the golden bowl is crushed, before the pitcher is shattered at the spring and the wheel is broken at the well,
- KJV
- 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.
- WEB
- before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the spring, or the wheel broken at the cistern,
- ASV
- before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern,
- DARBY
- before the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be shattered at the fountain, or the wheel be broken at the cistern;
- BLB
- while the cord of silver is not snapped or the bowl of gold broken or the pitcher shattered at the fountain or the wheel crushed at the well,
- ÅB
- før sølvsnoren tas bort, og gullskålen slåes i stykker, og krukken brytes sønder ved kilden, og hjulet knuses og faller ned i brønnen,
- OTB
- Husk din Skaper før sølvtråden ryker, og gullskålen knuses; før krukken knuses ved kilden, og hjulet brytes ved brønnen,
- B1930
- før sølvsnoren tas bort, og gullskålen slåes i stykker, og krukken brytes sønder ved kilden, og hjulet knuses og faller ned i brønnen,
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Zechariah 4:2–3
“What do you see?” he asked. “I see a solid gold lampstand,” I replied, “with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it, with seven spouts to the lamps.
Read in context