King James Version

Ecclesiastes 12:1

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;

Study

Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

וּזְכֹר֙uzekhorand be maleזָכַרconjunction, verb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “and be male”, a commandH2142properly, to mark (so as to be recognized), i.e. to remember; by implication, to mention; to be male[idiom] burn (incense), [idiom] earnestly, be male, (make) mention (of), be mindful, recount, record(-er), remember, make to be remembered, bring (call, come, keep, put) to (in) remembrance, [idiom] still, think on, [idiom] well.אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).בּ֣וֹרְאֶ֔יךָboreeykhacreateבָּרָאverb, qal, participle, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “create”, a verb used as a describing wordH1254(absolutely) to create; (qualified) to cut down (a wood), select, feed (as formative processes)choose, create (creator), cut down, dispatch, do, make (fat).בִּימֵ֖יbimein as long asיוֹםpreposition, noun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “in as long as”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3117a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) lon…בְּחוּרֹתֶ֑יךָbechuroteykhayouthבְּחֻרוֹתnoun, common, both genders, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “youth”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH979youth (collectively and abstractly)young men, youth.עַ֣דadevenעַדpreposition — “even”H5704as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)against, and, as, at, before, by (that), even (to), for(-asmuch as), (hither-) to, [phrase] how long, into, as long (much) as, (so) that, till, toward, until, when, while, ([phrase] as) yet.אֲשֶׁ֤רasherbecauseאֲשֶׁרparticle, relative — “because”H834who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.[idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever,…לֹאlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…יָבֹ֨אוּ֙yavovto comeבּוֹאverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “to come”, an unfinished actionH935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat,…יְמֵ֣יyemeas long asיוֹםnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “as long as”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3117a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) lon…הָֽרָעָ֔הharaahthe badרַעdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “the bad”, the ordinary formH7451bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, [phrase] displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), [phrase] exceedingly, [idiom] great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), [phrase] mark, mischief(-vous), misery…וְהִגִּ֣יעוּvehigivand reachנָגַעconjunction, verb, hiphil, sequential perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “and reach”, a completed action in a sequenceH5060properly, to touch, i.e. lay the hand upon (for any purpose; euphemistically, to lie with a woman); by implication, to reach (figuratively, to arrive, acquire); violently, to strike (punish, defeat, destroy, etc.)beat, ([idiom] be able to) bring (down), cast, come (nigh), draw near (nigh), get up, happen, join, near, plague, reach (up), smite, strike, touch.שָׁנִ֔יםshanimyearשָׁנֶהnoun, common, feminine, plural, absolute — “year”, the ordinary formH8141a year (as a revolution of time)[phrase] whole age, [idiom] long, [phrase] old, year([idiom] -ly).אֲשֶׁ֣רasherbecauseאֲשֶׁרparticle, relative — “because”H834who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.[idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever,…תֹּאמַ֔רtomarsayאָמַרverb, qal, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “say”, an unfinished actionH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…אֵֽיןeynelseאַיִןparticle, negative — “else”H369a non-entity; generally used as a negative particleelse, except, fail, (father-) less, be gone, in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable), well-nigh, without. Compare H370 (אַיִן).לִ֥יlitoלִ֥יpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “to”toבָהֶ֖םvaheminבָהֶ֖םpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “in”inחֵֽפֶץchefetsdesireחֵפֶץnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “desire”, the ordinary formH2656pleasure; hence (abstractly) desire; concretely, a valuable thing; hence (by extension) a matter (as something in mind)acceptable, delight(-some), desire, things desired, matter, pleasant(-ure), purpose, willingly.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

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

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

Remember also thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

Young’s Literal Translation

Remember also thy Creators in days of thy youth, While that the evil days come not, Nor the years have arrived, that thou sayest, 'I have no pleasure in them.'

World English Bible

Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw near, when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them;”

Darby Translation

And remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, of which thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

Douay-Rheims

Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the time of affliction come, and the years draw nigh of which thou shalt say: They please me not:

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

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

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the days of evil come, and the years overtake thee in which thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ μνήσθητι τοῦ κτίσαντός σε ἐν ἡμέραις νεότητός σου, ἕως ὅτου μὴ ἔλθωσιν αἱ ἡμέραι τῆς κακίας, καὶ φθάσουσιν ἔτη ἐν οἷς ἐρεῖς, οὐκ ἔστι μοι ἐν αὐτοῖς θέλημα.