Ecclesiastes 12

The Preacher urges the young to remember their Creator before old age brings physical decline, depicted poetically as trembling keepers (arms), bowing strong men (legs), few grinders (teeth), dim windows (eyes), and man going to his eternal home amid mourners[1][2][3]. He concludes that fearing God and keeping His commandments is the whole duty of man, for God will bring every work into judgment, whether good or evil[1][2][3].

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Interlinear Text

Verse 1
and-remember and remember! [direct object marker] object-marker your-Creator your creators in-days-of in the days of your-youth your young women before up to that that-which not not they-come they come days-of days of the-evil the evil and-draw-near and they caused to reach years cycles of years when that-which you-will-say you will say there-is-not there is not to-me — in-them — pleasure delight-desire
וּ/זְכֹר֙ 𐤅/𐤆𐤊𐤓 uzekhor and-remember and remember! HC/Vqv2ms אֶת 𐤀𐤕 et [direct object marker] object-marker HTo בּ֣וֹרְאֶ֔י/ךָ 𐤁𐤅𐤓𐤀𐤉/𐤊 boreeykha your-Creator your creators HVqrmpc/Sp2ms בִּ/ימֵ֖י 𐤁/𐤉𐤌𐤉 bimey in-days-of in the days of HR/Ncmpc בְּחוּרֹתֶ֑י/ךָ 𐤁𐤇𐤅𐤓𐤕𐤉/𐤊 bechuroteykha your-youth your young women HNcbpc/Sp2ms עַ֣ד 𐤏𐤃 ad before up to HR אֲשֶׁ֤ר 𐤀𐤔𐤓 asher that that-which HTr לֹא 𐤋𐤀 lo not not HTn יָבֹ֨אוּ֙ 𐤉𐤁𐤀𐤅 yavou they-come they come HVqi3mp יְמֵ֣י 𐤉𐤌𐤉 yemey days-of days of HNcmpc הָֽ/רָעָ֔ה 𐤄/𐤓𐤏𐤄 haraah the-evil the evil HTd/Ncfsa וְ/הִגִּ֣יעוּ 𐤅/𐤄𐤂𐤉𐤏𐤅 vehigiu and-draw-near and they caused to reach HC/Vhq3cp שָׁנִ֔ים 𐤔𐤍𐤉𐤌 shanim years cycles of years HNcfpa אֲשֶׁ֣ר 𐤀𐤔𐤓 asher-2 when that-which HTr תֹּאמַ֔ר 𐤕𐤀𐤌𐤓 tomar you-will-say you will say HVqi2ms אֵֽין 𐤀𐤉𐤍 eyn there-is-not there is not HTn לִ֥/י 𐤋/𐤉 li to-me HR/Sp1cs בָ/הֶ֖ם 𐤁/𐤄𐤌 vahem in-them HR/Sp3mp חֵֽפֶץ 𐤇𐤐𐤑 chefets pleasure delight-desire HNcmsa
Verse 3
in the day in the day when they tremble they will tremble the keepers guarding-ones of of the house the built-house and are bent and they twisted themselves men men of of strength the strength and cease and they ceased the grinders the grinding-women because for/because they are few they diminished and grow dim and they became dark those who look out the seeing ones through the windows in the openings
בַּ/יּ֗וֹם 𐤁/𐤉𐤅𐤌 bayom in the day in the day HRd/Ncmsa שֶׁ/יָּזֻ֨עוּ֙ 𐤔/𐤉𐤆𐤏𐤅 sheyazuu when they tremble they will tremble HTr/Vqi3mp שֹׁמְרֵ֣י 𐤔𐤌𐤓𐤉 shomerey the keepers guarding-ones of HVqrmpc הַ/בַּ֔יִת 𐤄/𐤁𐤉𐤕 habayit of the house the built-house HTd/Ncmsa וְ/הִֽתְעַוְּת֖וּ 𐤅/𐤄𐤕𐤏𐤅𐤕𐤅 vehiteavetu and are bent and they twisted themselves HC/Vtq3cp אַנְשֵׁ֣י 𐤀𐤍𐤔𐤉 aneshey men men of HNcmpc הֶ/חָ֑יִל 𐤄/𐤇𐤉𐤋 hechayil of strength the strength HTd/Ncmsa וּ/בָטְל֤וּ 𐤅/𐤁𐤈𐤋𐤅 uvatelu and cease and they ceased HC/Vqq3cp הַ/טֹּֽחֲנוֹת֙ 𐤄/𐤈𐤇𐤍𐤅𐤕 hatochanot the grinders the grinding-women HTd/Ncfpa כִּ֣י 𐤊𐤉 ki because for/because HC מִעֵ֔טוּ 𐤌𐤏𐤈𐤅 mietu they are few they diminished HVpp3cp וְ/חָשְׁכ֥וּ 𐤅/𐤇𐤔𐤊𐤅 vechashekhu and grow dim and they became dark HC/Vqq3cp הָ/רֹא֖וֹת 𐤄/𐤓𐤀𐤅𐤕 haroot those who look out the seeing ones HTd/Vqrfpa בָּ/אֲרֻבּֽוֹת 𐤁/𐤀𐤓𐤁𐤅𐤕 baarubot through the windows in the openings HRd/Ncfpa
Verse 4
and the doors are shut and they were shut in the doors two hanging door-panels in the street in the public thoroughfare when low in being low the sound sound of of the grinding the grinding-mill and one rises and he rises at the sound to the sound of of the bird the chirping bird and are brought low and they will be brought low all entirety of daughters daughters of of song the song
וְ/סֻגְּר֤וּ 𐤅/𐤎𐤂𐤓𐤅 vesugeru and the doors are shut and they were shut in HC/VPq3cp דְלָתַ֨יִם֙ 𐤃𐤋𐤕𐤉𐤌 delatayim the doors two hanging door-panels HNcfda בַּ/שּׁ֔וּק 𐤁/𐤔𐤅𐤒 bashuq in the street in the public thoroughfare HRd/Ncmsa בִּ/שְׁפַ֖ל 𐤁/𐤔𐤐𐤋 bishefal when low in being low HR/Vqc ק֣וֹל 𐤒𐤅𐤋 qol the sound sound of HNcmsc הַֽ/טַּחֲנָ֑ה 𐤄/𐤈𐤇𐤍𐤄 hatachanah of the grinding the grinding-mill HTd/Ncfsa וְ/יָקוּם֙ 𐤅/𐤉𐤒𐤅𐤌 veyaqum and one rises and he rises HC/Vqi3ms לְ/ק֣וֹל 𐤋/𐤒𐤅𐤋 leqol at the sound to the sound of HR/Ncmsc הַ/צִּפּ֔וֹר 𐤄/𐤑𐤐𐤅𐤓 hatsipor of the bird the chirping bird HTd/Ncbsa וְ/יִשַּׁ֖חוּ 𐤅/𐤉𐤔𐤇𐤅 veyishachu and are brought low and they will be brought low HC/VNi3mp כָּל 𐤊𐤋 kal all entirety of HNcmsc בְּנ֥וֹת 𐤁𐤍𐤅𐤕 benot daughters daughters of HNcfpc הַ/שִּֽׁיר 𐤄/𐤔𐤉𐤓 hashir of song the song HTd/Ncbsa
Verse 5
also also of height high they are afraid they will fear and terrors shattering terrors in the way in the path and blossoms and he will treat with contempt the almond tree the almond tree and drags itself he will bear himself under burden the grasshopper the locust and fails and she will nullify the caperberry the desire-arousing caper berry for for/because going the one walking man the earthling to toward house house-of of his eternity his enduring age and go about and they encircled in the street in the public thoroughfare the mourners the ones lamenting
גַּ֣ם 𐤂𐤌 gam also also HTa מִ/גָּבֹ֤הַּ 𐤌/𐤂𐤁𐤄 migavoha of height high HR/Aamsa יִרָ֨אוּ֙ 𐤉𐤓𐤀𐤅 yirau tina (Bemba) they are afraid they will fear HVqi3mp וְ/חַתְחַתִּ֣ים 𐤅/𐤇𐤕𐤇𐤕𐤉𐤌 vechatechatim and terrors shattering terrors HC/Ncmpa בַּ/דֶּ֔רֶךְ 𐤁/𐤃𐤓𐤊 baderekhe in the way in the path HRd/Ncbsa וְ/יָנֵ֤אץ 𐤅/𐤉𐤍𐤀𐤑 veyanets and blossoms and he will treat with contempt HC/Vhi3ms הַ/שָּׁקֵד֙ 𐤄/𐤔𐤒𐤃 hashaqed the almond tree the almond tree HTd/Ncmsa וְ/יִסְתַּבֵּ֣ל 𐤅/𐤉𐤎𐤕𐤁𐤋 veyisetabel and drags itself he will bear himself under burden HC/Vti3ms הֶֽ/חָגָ֔ב 𐤄/𐤇𐤂𐤁 hechagav the grasshopper the locust HTd/Ncmsa וְ/תָפֵ֖ר 𐤅/𐤕𐤐𐤓 vetafer and fails and she will nullify HC/Vhi3fs הָֽ/אֲבִיּוֹנָ֑ה 𐤄/𐤀𐤁𐤉𐤅𐤍𐤄 haavionah the caperberry the desire-arousing caper berry HTd/Ncfsa כִּֽי 𐤊𐤉 ki for for/because HC הֹלֵ֤ךְ 𐤄𐤋𐤊 holekhe going the one walking HVqrmsa הָ/אָדָם֙ 𐤄/𐤀𐤃𐤌 haadam man the earthling HTd/Ncmsa אֶל 𐤀𐤋 el to toward HR בֵּ֣ית 𐤁𐤉𐤕 beyt house house-of HNcmsc עוֹלָמ֔/וֹ 𐤏𐤅𐤋𐤌/𐤅 olamo of his eternity his enduring age HNcmsc/Sp3ms וְ/סָבְב֥וּ 𐤅/𐤎𐤁𐤁𐤅 vesavevu and go about and they encircled HC/Vqq3cp בָ/שּׁ֖וּק 𐤁/𐤔𐤅𐤒 vashuq in the street in the public thoroughfare HRd/Ncmsa הַ/סֹּפְדִֽים 𐤄/𐤎𐤐𐤃𐤉𐤌 hasofedim the mourners the ones lamenting HTd/Vqrmpa
Verse 6
until up to that that-which not not is removed he will become distant is loosed he will be bound cord binding-cord of the silver the silver and runs and she will crush bowl round basin of the golden the gold and is broken and she will be shattered pitcher earthenware jar of at upon the spring the bubbling spring and is broken and he was crushed the wheel the rolling-wheel at toward the cistern the pit
עַ֣ד 𐤏𐤃 ad until up to HR אֲשֶׁ֤ר 𐤀𐤔𐤓 asher that that-which HTr לֹֽא 𐤋𐤀 lo not not HTn ירחק 𐤉𐤓𐤇𐤒 yrchq is removed he will become distant HVqi3ms יֵרָתֵק֙ 𐤉𐤓𐤕𐤒 yerateq is loosed he will be bound HVNi3ms חֶ֣בֶל 𐤇𐤁𐤋 chevel cord binding-cord of HNcbsc הַ/כֶּ֔סֶף 𐤄/𐤊𐤎𐤐 hakesef the silver the silver HTd/Ncmsa וְ/תָרֻ֖ץ 𐤅/𐤕𐤓𐤑 vetaruts and runs and she will crush HC/Vqi3fs גֻּלַּ֣ת 𐤂𐤋𐤕 gulat bowl round basin of HNcfsc הַ/זָּהָ֑ב 𐤄/𐤆𐤄𐤁 hazahav the golden the gold HTd/Ncmsa וְ/תִשָּׁ֤בֶר 𐤅/𐤕𐤔𐤁𐤓 vetishaver and is broken and she will be shattered HC/VNi3fs כַּד֙ 𐤊𐤃 kad pitcher earthenware jar of HNcfsa עַל 𐤏𐤋 al at upon HR הַ/מַּבּ֔וּעַ 𐤄/𐤌𐤁𐤅𐤏 hamabua the spring the bubbling spring HTd/Ncmsa וְ/נָרֹ֥ץ 𐤅/𐤍𐤓𐤑 venarots and is broken and he was crushed HC/VNq3ms הַ/גַּלְגַּ֖ל 𐤄/𐤂𐤋𐤂𐤋 hagalegal the wheel the rolling-wheel HTd/Ncmsa אֶל 𐤀𐤋 el at toward HR הַ/בּֽוֹר 𐤄/𐤁𐤅𐤓 habor the cistern the pit HTd/Ncmsa
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