King James Version

Ecclesiastes 12:3

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,

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Hebrew

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בַּיּ֗וֹםbayomin as long asיוֹםpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “in as long as”, the ordinary formH3117a 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…שֶׁיָּזֻ֨עוּ֙sheyazuvwho moveזוּעַparticle, relative, verb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “who move”, an unfinished actionH2111properly, to shake off, i.e. (figuratively) to agitate (as with fear)move, tremble, vex.שֹׁמְרֵ֣יshomerebewardשָׁמַרverb, qal, participle, construct — “beward”, a verb used as a describing wordH8104properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.beward, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man).הַבַּ֔יִתhabayitthe familyבַּיִתdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the family”, the ordinary formH1004a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)court, daughter, door, [phrase] dungeon, family, [phrase] forth of, [idiom] great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, [phrase] prison, [phrase] steward, [phrase] tablet, temple, web,…וְהִֽתְעַוְּת֖וּvehitavtvand crookedעָוַתconjunction, verb, hithpael, sequential perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “and crooked”, a completed action in a sequenceH5791to wrestbow self, (make) crooked., falsifying, overthrow, deal perversely, pervert, subvert, turn upside down.אַנְשֵׁ֣יanshea certainאִישׁnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “a certain”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phra…הֶחָ֑יִלhechayilthe armyחַיִלdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the army”, the ordinary formH2428probably a force, whether of men, means or other resources; an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strengthable, activity, ([phrase]) army, band of men (soldiers), company, (great) forces, goods, host, might, power, riches, strength, strong, substance, train, ([phrase]) valiant(-ly), valour, virtuous(-ly), war, worthy(-ily).וּבָטְל֤וּuvatelvand ceaseבָּטֵלconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “and cease”, a completed action in a sequenceH988to desist from laborcease.הַטֹּֽחֲנוֹת֙hatochanotthe grindטָחַןdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, plural, absolute — “the grind”, the ordinary formH2912to grind meal; hence, to be aconcubine (that being their employment)grind(-er).כִּ֣יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…מִעֵ֔טוּmietvfewמָעַטverb, piel, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “few”, a completed actionH4591properly, to pare off, i.e. lessen; intransitively, to be (or causatively, to make) small or few (or figuratively, ineffective)suffer to decrease, diminish, (be, [idiom] borrow a, give, make) few (in number, -ness), gather least (little), be (seem) little, ([idiom] give the) less, be minished, bring to nothing.וְחָשְׁכ֥וּvechashekhvand be blackחָשַׁךְconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “and be black”, a completed action in a sequenceH2821to be dark (as withholding light); transitively, to darkenbe black, be (make) dark, darken, cause darkness, be dim, hide.הָרֹא֖וֹתharootthe seeרָאָהdefinite article, verb, qal, participle, absolute — “the see”, a verb used as a describing wordH7200to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)advise self, appear, approve, behold, [idiom] certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), m…בָּאֲרֻבּֽוֹתbaarubotin chimneyאֲרֻבָּהpreposition, with the article, noun, common, feminine, plural, absolute — “in chimney”, the ordinary formH699a lattice; (by implication) a window, dovecot (because of the pigeon-holes), chimney (with its apertures for smoke), sluice (with openings for water)chimney, window.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

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,

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

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 shall be darkened,

Young’s Literal Translation

In the day that keepers of the house tremble, And men of strength have bowed themselves, And grinders have ceased, because they have become few. And those looking out at the windows have become dim,

World English Bible

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 who look out of the windows are darkened,

Darby Translation

in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows are darkened,

Douay-Rheims

When the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall stagger, and the grinders shall be idle in a small number, and they that look through the holes shall be darkened:

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

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,

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

in the day wherein the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the mighty men shall become bent, and the grinding women cease because they have become few, and the women looking out at the windows be dark;

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ᾗ ἐὰν σαλευθῶσι φύλακες τῆς οἰκίας, καὶ διαστραφῶσιν ἄνδρες τῆς δυνάμεως, καὶ ἤργησαν αἱ ἀλήθουσαι ὅτι ὠλιγώθησαν, καὶ σκοτάσουσιν αἱ βλέπουσαι ἐν ταῖς ὀπαῖς·