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Ecclesiastes chapter 12 in Hebrew and English

14 verses, about 2 minutes to read aloud. The Hebrew has its vowel points and the English stands under each verse.

The whole chapter is here, a verse to a line.

וּזְכֹר אֶת־בּוֹרְאֶיךָ בִּימֵי בְּחוּרֹתֶיךָ עַד אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יָבֹאוּ יְמֵי הָרָעָה וְהִגִּיעוּ שָׁנִים אֲשֶׁר תֹּאמַר אֵין־לִי בָהֶם חֵֽפֶץ׃

Remember then thy Creator in the days of thy youth, and the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say: 'I have no pleasure in them';

עַד אֲשֶׁר לֹא־תֶחְשַׁךְ הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְהָאוֹר וְהַיָּרֵחַ וְהַכּוֹכָבִים וְשָׁבוּ הֶעָבִים אַחַר הַגָּֽשֶׁם׃

Before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain;

בַּיּוֹם שֶׁיָּזֻעוּ שֹׁמְרֵי הַבַּיִת וְהִתְעַוְּתוּ אַנְשֵׁי הֶחָיִל וּבָטְלוּ הַטֹּחֲנוֹת כִּי מִעֵטוּ וְחָשְׁכוּ הָרֹאוֹת בָּאֲרֻבּֽוֹת׃

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 shall be darkened in the windows,

וְסֻגְּרוּ דְלָתַיִם בַּשּׁוּק בִּשְׁפַל קוֹל הַטַּחֲנָה וְיָקוּם לְקוֹל הַצִּפּוֹר וְיִשַּׁחוּ כָּל־בְּנוֹת הַשִּֽׁיר׃

And the doors shall be shut in the street, when the sound of the grinding is low; and one shall start up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;

גַּם מִגָּבֹהַּ יִרָאוּ וְחַתְחַתִּים בַּדֶּרֶךְ וְיָנֵאץ הַשָּׁקֵד וְיִסְתַּבֵּל הֶחָגָב וְתָפֵר הָאֲבִיּוֹנָה כִּי־הֹלֵךְ הָאָדָם אֶל־בֵּית עוֹלָמוֹ וְסָבְבוּ בָשּׁוּק הַסֹּפְדִֽים׃

Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and terrors shall be in the way; and the almond-tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall drag itself along, and the caperberry shall fail; Because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets;

עַד אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יֵרָתֵק חֶבֶל הַכֶּסֶף וְתָרֻץ גֻּלַּת הַזָּהָב וְתִשָּׁבֶר כַּד עַל־הַמַּבּוּעַ וְנָרֹץ הַגַּלְגַּל אֶל־הַבּֽוֹר׃

Before the silver cord is snapped asunder, and the golden bowl is shattered, And the pitcher is broken at the fountain, and the wheel falleth shattered, into the pit;

וְיָשֹׁב הֶעָפָר עַל־הָאָרֶץ כְּשֶׁהָיָה וְהָרוּחַ תָּשׁוּב אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר נְתָנָֽהּ׃

And the dust returneth to the earth as it was, and the spirit returneth unto God who gave it.

הֲבֵל הֲבָלִים אָמַר הַקּוֹהֶלֶת הַכֹּל הָֽבֶל׃

Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth; all is vanity.

וְיֹתֵר שֶׁהָיָה קֹהֶלֶת חָכָם עוֹד לִמַּד־דַּעַת אֶת־הָעָם וְאִזֵּן וְחִקֵּר תִּקֵּן מְשָׁלִים הַרְבֵּֽה׃

And besides that Koheleth was wise, he also taught the people knowledge; yea, he pondered, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

בִּקֵּשׁ קֹהֶלֶת לִמְצֹא דִּבְרֵי־חֵפֶץ וְכָתוּב יֹשֶׁר דִּבְרֵי אֱמֶֽת׃

Koheleth sought to find out words of delight, and that which was written uprightly, even words of truth.

דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים כַּדָּרְבֹנוֹת וּכְמַשְׂמְרוֹת נְטוּעִים בַּעֲלֵי אֲסֻפּוֹת נִתְּנוּ מֵרֹעֶה אֶחָֽד׃

The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails well fastened are those that are composed in collections; they are given from one shepherd.

וְיֹתֵר מֵהֵמָּה בְּנִי הִזָּהֵר עֲשׂוֹת סְפָרִים הַרְבֵּה אֵין קֵץ וְלַהַג הַרְבֵּה יְגִעַת בָּשָֽׂר׃

And furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

סוֹף דָּבָר הַכֹּל נִשְׁמָע אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִים יְרָא וְאֶת־מִצְוֺתָיו שְׁמוֹר כִּי־זֶה כָּל־הָאָדָֽם׃

The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole man.

כִּי אֶת־כָּל־מַעֲשֶׂה הָאֱלֹהִים יָבִא בְמִשְׁפָּט עַל כָּל־נֶעְלָם אִם־טוֹב וְאִם־רָֽע׃

For God shall bring every work into the judgment concerning every hidden thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil. [The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear God, and keep His Commandments; for this is the whole man.]

The Hebrew is the Leningrad Codex, free to view and copy, compared letter by letter with a second edition, Miqra according to the Masorah, under the CC BY-SA licence. The English is the Jewish Publication Society translation of 1917, in the public domain.

Where this chapter stands in the Tanakh.

  • Chapter 12 of the 12 chapters of Ecclesiastes
  • Ecclesiastes is one of the Writings
  • 14 verses, 186 words, about 2 minutes to read

Ecclesiastes has 12 chapters, and each one has its own page.

All of Ecclesiastes·All the books of the Tanakh·Psalms and prayers

Questions about this chapter

How many verses does Ecclesiastes chapter 12 have?

Ecclesiastes chapter 12 has 14 verses and 186 words.

How does Ecclesiastes chapter 12 begin?

The first verse begins in Hebrew with the words וזכר את־בוראיך בימי בחורתיך.

Where does Ecclesiastes chapter 12 stand in the Tanakh?

It is chapter 12 of the 12 chapters of Ecclesiastes, which is one of the Writings.

How long does it take to read Ecclesiastes chapter 12?

About 2 minutes, at a steady pace.