Ecclesiastes 12

فَاذْكُرْ خَالِقَكَ فِي أَيَّامِ شَبَابِكَ، قَبْلَ أَنْ تَأْتِيَ أَيَّامُ الشَّرِّ أَوْ تَجِيءَ السِّنُونَ إِذْ تَقُولُ: «لَيْسَ لِي فِيهَا سُرُورٌ».

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;

قَبْلَ مَا تَظْلُمُ الشَّمْسُ وَالنُّورُ وَالْقَمَرُ وَالنُّجُومُ، وَتَرْجعُ السُّحُبُ بَعْدَ الْمَطَرِ.

While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:

فِي يَوْمٍ يَتَزَعْزَعُ فِيهِ حَفَظَةُ الْبَيْتِ، وَتَتَلَوَّى رِجَالُ الْقُوَّةِ، وَتَبْطُلُ الطَّوَاحِنُ لأَنَّهَا قَلَّتْ، وَتُظْلِمُ النَّوَاظِرُ مِنَ الشَّبَابِيكِ.

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,

وَتُغْلَقُ الأَبْوَابُ فِي السُّوقِ. حِينَ يَنْخَفِضُ صَوْتُ الْمِطْحَنَةِ، وَيَقُومُ لِصَوْتِ الْعُصْفُورِ، وَتُحَطُّ كُلُّ بَنَاتِ الْغِنَاءِ.

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 musick shall be brought low;

وَأَيْضًا يَخَافُونَ مِنَ الْعَالِي، وَفِي الطَّرِيقِ أَهْوَالٌ، وَاللَّوْزُ يُزْهِرُ، وَالْجُنْدُبُ يُسْتَثْقَلُ، وَالشَّهْوَةُ تَبْطُلُ. لأَنَّ الإِنْسَانَ ذَاهِبٌ إِلَى بَيْتِهِ الأَبَدِيِّ، وَالنَّادِبُونَ يَطُوفُونَ فِي السُّوقِ.

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:

قَبْلَ مَا يَنْفَصِمُ حَبْلُ الْفِضَّةِ، أَوْ يَنْسَحِقُ كُوزُ الذَّهَبِ، أَوْ تَنْكَسِرُ الْجَرَّةُ عَلَى الْعَيْنِ، أَوْ تَنْقَصِفُ الْبَكَرَةُ عِنْدَ الْبِئْرِ.

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.

فَيَرْجعُ التُّرَابُ إِلَى الأَرْضِ كَمَا كَانَ، وَتَرْجعُ الرُّوحُ إِلَى اللهِ الَّذِي أَعْطَاهَا.

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

بَاطِلُ الأَبَاطِيلِ، قَالَ الْجَامِعَةُ: الْكُلُّ بَاطِلٌ.

Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.

بَقِيَ أَنَّ الْجَامِعَةَ كَانَ حَكِيمًا، وَأَيْضًا عَلَّمَ الشَّعْبَ عِلْمًا، وَوَزَنَ وَبَحَثَ وَأَتْقَنَ أَمْثَالاً كَثِيرَةً.

And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

اَلْجَامِعَةُ طَلَبَ أَنْ يَجِدَ كَلِمَاتٍ مُسِرَّةً مَكْتُوبَةً بِالاسْتِقَامَةِ، كَلِمَاتِ حَقّ.

The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.

كَلاَمُ الْحُكَمَاءِ كَالْمَنَاسِيسِ، وَكَأَوْتَادٍ مُنْغَرِزَةٍ، أَرْبَابُ الْجَمَاعَاتِ، قَدْ أُعْطِيَتْ مِنْ رَاعٍ وَاحِدٍ.

The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.

وَبَقِيَ، فَمِنْ هذَا يَا ابْنِي تَحَذَّرْ: لِعَمَلِ كُتُبٍ كَثِيرَةٍ لاَ نِهَايَةَ، وَالدَّرْسُ الْكَثِيرُ تَعَبٌ لِلْجَسَدِ.

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

فَلْنَسْمَعْ خِتَامَ الأَمْرِ كُلِّهِ: اتَّقِ اللهَ وَاحْفَظْ وَصَايَاهُ، لأَنَّ هذَا هُوَ الإِنْسَانُ كُلُّهُ.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

لأَنَّ اللهَ يُحْضِرُ كُلَّ عَمَل إِلَى الدَّيْنُونَةِ، عَلَى كُلِّ خَفِيٍّ، إِنْ كَانَ خَيْرًا أَوْ شَرًّا.

For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.