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1. Remember your Creator while you are young, before the bad times come�before the years come when you say, "I have wasted my life."
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1. Remember H2142 now H853 thy Creator H1254 in the days H3117 of thy youth H979 , while H5704 H834 the evil H7451 days H3117 come H935 not H3808 , nor the years H8141 draw nigh H5060 , when H834 thou shalt say H559 , I have no H369 pleasure H2656 in them;
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2. 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.
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2. While H5704 H834 the sun H8121 , or the light H216 , or the moon H3394 , or the stars H3556 , be not H3808 darkened H2821 , nor the clouds H5645 return H7725 after H310 the rain H1653 :
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3. 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.
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3. In the day H3117 when the keepers H8104 of the house H1004 shall tremble H7945 H2111 , and the strong H2428 men H376 shall bow themselves H5791 , and the grinders H2912 cease H988 because H3588 they are few H4591 , and those that look H7200 out of the windows H699 be darkened H2821 ,
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4. 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.
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4. And the doors H1817 shall be shut H5462 in the streets H7784 , when the sound H6963 of the grinding H2913 is low H8213 , and he shall rise up H6965 at the voice H6963 of the bird H6833 , and all H3605 the daughters H1323 of music H7892 shall be brought low H7817 ;
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5. 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.
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5. Also H1571 when they shall be afraid H3372 of that which is high H4480 H1364 , and fears H2849 shall be in the way H1870 , and the almond tree H8247 shall flourish H5006 , and the grasshopper H2284 shall be a burden H5445 , and desire H35 shall fail H6565 : because H3588 man H120 goeth H1980 to H413 his long H5769 home H1004 , and the mourners H5594 go about H5437 the streets H7784 :
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6. 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.
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6. Or H5704 ever H834 H3808 the silver H3701 cord H2256 be loosed H7368 , or the golden H2091 bowl H1543 be broken H7533 , or the pitcher H3537 be broken H7665 at H5921 the fountain H4002 , or the wheel H1534 broken H7533 at H413 the cistern H953 .
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7. 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.
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7. Then shall the dust H6083 return H7725 to H5921 the earth H776 as it was H7945 H1961 : and the spirit H7307 shall return H7725 unto H413 God H430 who H834 gave H5414 it.
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8. Everything is so meaningless. The Teacher says that it is all a waste of time!
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8. Vanity H1892 of vanities H1892 , saith H559 the preacher H6953 ; all H3605 is vanity H1892 .
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9. The Teacher was very wise. He used his wisdom to teach the people. He very carefully studied and arranged many wise teachings.
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9. And moreover H3148 , because the preacher H6953 was H7945 H1961 wise H2450 , he still H5750 taught H3925 H853 the people H5971 knowledge H1847 ; yea , he gave good heed H238 , and sought out H2713 , and set in order H8626 many H7235 proverbs H4912 .
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10. The Teacher tried very hard to find the right words, and he wrote the teachings that are true and dependable.
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10. The preacher H6953 sought H1245 to find out H4672 acceptable H2656 words H1697 : and that which was written H3789 was upright H3476 , even words H1697 of truth H571 .
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11. Words from the wise are like sharp sticks that people use to make their animals go the right way. These teachings are like strong pegs that will not break. These wise teachings all come from the same Shepherd.
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11. The words H1697 of the wise H2450 are as goads H1861 , and as nails H4930 fastened H5193 by the masters H1167 of assemblies H627 , which are given H5414 from one shepherd H4480 H7462 H259 .
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12. So son, study these teachings, but be careful about other books. People are always writing books, and too much study will make you very tired.
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12. And further H3148 , by these H4480 H1992 , my son H1121 , be admonished H2094 : of making H6213 many H7235 books H5612 there is no H369 end H7093 ; and much H7235 study H3854 is a weariness H3024 of the flesh H1320 .
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13. Now, what should we learn from everything that is written in this book? The most important thing a person can do is to respect God and obey his commands, because he knows about everything people do�even the secret things. He knows about all the good and all the bad, and he will judge people for everything they do.
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13. Let us hear H8085 the conclusion H5490 of the whole H3605 matter H1697 : Fear H3372 H853 God H430 , and keep H8104 his commandments H4687 : for H3588 this H2088 is the whole H3605 duty of man H120 .
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