9 ^qRejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. ^rWalk in the ways of your heart and ^sthe sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things ^tGod will bring you into judgment.

10 Remove vexation from your heart, and ^uput away pain¹ from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

Remember Your Creator in Your Youth

1 Remember also your Creator in ^vthe days of your youth, before ^wthe evil days come and the years draw near of which ^xyou will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; 2 before ^ythe sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, 3 in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and ^zthose who look through the windows are dimmed, 4 and ^athe doors on the street are shut—when ^bthe sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all ^cthe daughters of song are brought low— 5 they are afraid also of what is high, and ^dterrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along,² and desire fails, because man is going to his ^eeternal ^fhome, and the ^gmourners go about the streets— 6 before the silver cord is snapped, or ^hthe golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is ⁱshattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, 7 and ^jthe dust returns to the earth as it was, and ^kthe spirit returns to God ^lwho gave it.

16 ^zon that day when, ^aaccording to my gospel, God judges ^bthe secrets of men ^cby Christ Jesus.