Ecclesiastes 12:1

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

Fear God Now Because Old Age and Death Come Quickly So remember your Creator in the days of your youth– before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you will say,“I have no pleasure in them”;

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • Eccl 11:8 : 8 So, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all, but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many– all that is about to come is obscure.
  • Lam 3:27 : 27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young.
  • Luke 18:16 : 16 But Jesus called for the children, saying,“Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
  • Prov 22:6 : 6 Train a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
  • Ps 34:11 : 11 Come children! Listen to me! I will teach you what it means to fear the LORD.
  • Ps 71:17-18 : 17 O God, you have taught me since I was young, and I am still declaring your amazing deeds. 18 Even when I am old and gray, O God, do not abandon me, until I tell the next generation about your strength, and those coming after me about your power.
  • Ps 90:10 : 10 The days of our lives add up to seventy years, or eighty, if one is especially strong. But even one’s best years are marred by trouble and oppression. Yes, they pass quickly and we fly away.
  • Prov 8:17 : 17 I will love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me.
  • Ps 22:9-9 : 9 Yes, you are the one who brought me out from the womb and made me feel secure on my mother’s breasts. 10 I have been dependent on you since birth; from the time I came out of my mother’s womb you have been my God.
  • Eccl 11:10 : 10 Banish emotional stress from your mind. and put away pain from your body; for youth and the prime of life are fleeting.
  • 2 Tim 3:15 : 15 and how from infancy you have known the holy writings, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
  • Gen 39:23 : 23 The warden did not concern himself with anything that was in Joseph’s care because the LORD was with him and whatever he was doing the LORD was making successful.
  • Gen 39:2 : 2 The LORD was with Joseph. He was successful and lived in the household of his Egyptian master.
  • 2 Sam 19:35 : 35 I am presently eighty years old. Am I able to discern good and bad? Can I taste what I eat and drink? Am I still able to hear the voices of male and female singers? Why should I continue to be a burden to my lord the king?
  • Gen 39:8-9 : 8 But he refused, saying to his master’s wife,“Look, my master does not give any thought to his household with me here, and everything that he owns he has put into my care. 9 There is no one greater in this household than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you because you are his wife. So how could I do such a great evil and sin against God?”
  • 1 Kgs 14:13 : 13 All Israel will mourn him and bury him. He is the only one in Jeroboam’s family who will receive a decent burial, for he is the only one in whom the LORD God of Israel found anything good.
  • 1 Kgs 18:12 : 12 But when I leave you, the LORD’s Spirit will carry you away so I can’t find you. If I go tell Ahab I’ve seen you, he won’t be able to find you and he will kill me. That would not be fair, because your servant has been a loyal follower of the LORD from my youth.
  • 2 Chr 34:2-3 : 2 He did what the LORD approved and followed in his ancestor David’s footsteps; he did not deviate to the right or the left. 3 In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his ancestor David. In his twelfth year he began ridding Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, Asherah poles, idols, and images.
  • Job 30:2 : 2 Moreover, the strength of their hands– what use was it to me? Men whose strength had perished;
  • 1 Sam 1:28 : 28 So I also dedicate him to the LORD. For all the days of his life he is dedicated to the LORD.”Then he bowed down there in worship to the LORD.
  • 1 Sam 2:18 : 18 Now Samuel was ministering with the favor of the LORD. The boy was dressed in a linen ephod.
  • 1 Sam 2:26 : 26 However, the boy Samuel was growing up and finding favor both with the LORD and with people.
  • 1 Sam 3:19-21 : 19 Samuel continued to grow, and the LORD was with him. None of his prophecies fell to the ground unfulfilled. 20 All Israel from Dan to Beer Sheba realized that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the LORD. 21 Then the LORD again appeared in Shiloh, for it was in Shiloh that the LORD had revealed himself to Samuel through a message from the LORD.
  • 1 Sam 16:7 : 7 But the LORD said to Samuel,“Don’t be impressed by his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. God does not view things the way men do. People look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
  • 1 Sam 16:12-13 : 12 So Jesse had him brought in. Now he was ruddy, with attractive eyes and a handsome appearance. The LORD said,“Go and anoint him. This is the one!” 13 So Samuel took the horn full of olive oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers. The Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day onward. Then Samuel got up and went to Ramah.
  • 1 Sam 17:36-37 : 36 Your servant has struck down both the lion and the bear. This uncircumcised Philistine will be just like one of them. For he has defied the armies of the living God!” 37 David went on to say,“The LORD who delivered me from the lion and the bear will also deliver me from the hand of this Philistine!” Then Saul said to David,“Go! The LORD will be with you.”
  • Eph 6:4 : 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but raise them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
  • Dan 1:8-9 : 8 But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the royal delicacies or the royal wine. He therefore asked the overseer of the court officials for permission not to defile himself. 9 Then God made the overseer of the court officials sympathetic to Daniel.
  • Dan 1:17 : 17 Now as for these four young men, God endowed them with knowledge and skill in all sorts of literature and wisdom– and Daniel had insight into all kinds of visions and dreams.
  • Hos 7:9 : 9 Foreigners are consuming what his strenuous labor produced, but he does not recognize it! His head is filled with gray hair, but he does not realize it!
  • Luke 1:15 : 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.
  • Luke 2:40-52 : 40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom, and the favor of God was upon him. 41 Jesus in the Temple Now Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem every year for the Feast of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. 43 But when the feast was over, as they were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 44 but(because they assumed that he was in their group of travelers) they went a day’s journey. Then they began to look for him among their relatives and acquaintances. 45 When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Jesus were astonished at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were overwhelmed. His mother said to him,“Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously.” 49 But he replied,“Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50 Yet his parents did not understand the remark he made to them. 51 Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. But his mother kept all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and with people.
  • Isa 26:8 : 8 Yes, as your judgments unfold, O LORD, we wait for you. We desire your fame and reputation to grow.
  • 1 Kgs 3:6-9 : 6 Solomon replied,“You demonstrated great loyalty to your servant, my father David, as he served you faithfully, properly, and sincerely. You have maintained this great loyalty to this day by allowing his son to sit on his throne. 7 Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in my father David’s place, even though I am only a young man and am inexperienced. 8 Your servant stands among your chosen people; they are a great nation that is too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning mind so he can make judicial decisions for your people and distinguish right from wrong. Otherwise no one is able to make judicial decisions for this great nation of yours.” 10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon made this request. 11 God said to him,“Because you asked for the ability to make wise judicial decisions, and not for long life, or riches, or vengeance on your enemies, 12 I grant your request, and give you a wise and discerning mind superior to that of anyone who has preceded or will succeed you.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Eccl 12:2
    84%

    2before the sun and the light of the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds disappear after the rain;

  • Eccl 11:7-10
    4 verses
    81%

    7Life Should Be Enjoyed Because Death is Inevitable Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for a person to see the sun.

    8So, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all, but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many– all that is about to come is obscure.

    9Enjoy Life to the Fullest under the Fear of God Rejoice, young man, while you are young, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes, but know that God will judge your motives and actions.

    10Banish emotional stress from your mind. and put away pain from your body; for youth and the prime of life are fleeting.

  • Eccl 12:5-8
    4 verses
    72%

    5and they are afraid of heights and the dangers in the street; the almond blossoms grow white, and the grasshopper drags itself along, and the caper berry shrivels up– because man goes to his eternal home, and the mourners go about in the streets–

    6before the silver cord is removed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the well, or the water wheel is broken at the cistern–

    7and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the life’s breath returns to God who gave it.

    8Concluding Refrain: Qoheleth Restates His Thesis“Absolutely futile!” laments the Teacher,“All of these things are futile!”

  • Ps 90:12
    72%

    12So teach us to consider our mortality, so that we might live wisely.

  • Eccl 7:14
    72%

    14In times of prosperity be joyful, but in times of adversity consider this: God has made one as well as the other, so that no one can discover what the future holds.

  • Eccl 5:20
    72%

    20For he does not think much about the fleeting days of his life because God keeps him preoccupied with the joy he derives from his activity.

  • Eccl 7:10
    71%

    10Do not say,“Why were the old days better than these days?” for it is not wise to ask that.

  • Deut 32:7
    71%

    7Remember the ancient days; bear in mind the years of past generations. Ask your father and he will inform you, your elders, and they will tell you.

  • Eccl 9:9-10
    2 verses
    71%

    9Enjoy life with your beloved wife during all the days of your fleeting life that God has given you on earth during all your fleeting days; for that is your reward in life and in your burdensome work on earth.

    10Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, because there is neither work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave, the place where you will eventually go.

  • Job 29:4
    70%

    4just as I was in my most productive time, when God’s intimate friendship was experienced in my tent,

  • Eccl 1:11
    70%

    11No one remembers the former events, nor will anyone remember the events that are yet to happen; they will not be remembered by the future generations.

  • Eccl 3:12
    70%

    12Enjoy Life in the Present I have concluded that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to enjoy themselves as long as they live,

  • Job 11:16-17
    2 verses
    70%

    16For you will forget your trouble; you will remember it like water that has flowed away.

    17And life will be brighter than the noonday; though there be darkness, it will be like the morning.

  • Eccl 7:17
    70%

    17Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool; otherwise you might die before your time.

  • Eccl 6:12
    70%

    12For no one knows what is best for a person during his life– during the few days of his fleeting life– for they pass away like a shadow. Nor can anyone tell him what the future will hold for him on earth.

  • Eccl 2:1
    69%

    1Futility of Self-Indulgent Pleasure I thought to myself,“Come now, I will try self-indulgent pleasure to see if it is worthwhile.” But I found that it also is futile.

  • Ps 34:12
    69%

    12Do you want to really live? Would you love to live a long, happy life?

  • Ps 90:15
    69%

    15Make us happy in proportion to the days you have afflicted us, in proportion to the years we have experienced trouble!

  • Prov 5:11
    69%

    11And at the end of your life you will groan when your flesh and your body are wasted away.

  • Ps 89:47
    69%

    47Take note of my brief lifespan! Why do you make all people so mortal?

  • Job 10:5
    69%

    5Are your days like the days of a mortal, or your years like the years of a mortal,

  • Ps 25:7
    69%

    7Do not hold against me the sins of my youth or my rebellious acts! Because you are faithful to me, extend to me your favor, O LORD!

  • Job 5:27
    69%

    27Look, we have investigated this, so it is true. Hear it, and apply it for your own good.”

  • Prov 3:1
    68%

    1Exhortations to Seek Wisdom and Walk with the Lord My child, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,

  • Deut 8:11-12
    2 verses
    68%

    11Exhortation to Remember That Blessing Comes from God Be sure you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping his commandments, ordinances, and statutes that I am giving you today.

    12When you eat your fill, when you build and occupy good houses,

  • Ps 77:5
    68%

    5I thought about the days of old, about ancient times.

  • Ps 102:24
    68%

    24I say,“O my God, please do not take me away in the middle of my life! You endure through all generations.

  • Ezek 16:43
    68%

    43“‘Because you did not remember the days of your youth and have enraged me with all these deeds, I hereby repay you for what you have done, declares the Sovereign LORD. Have you not engaged in prostitution on top of all your other abominable practices?

  • Eccl 1:5
    68%

    5The sun rises and the sun sets; it hurries away to a place from which it rises again.

  • Job 12:12
    68%

    12Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?

  • Prov 5:18
    68%

    18May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife you married in your youth–

  • Prov 9:11
    68%

    11For because of me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life.

  • Prov 2:17
    68%

    17who leaves the husband from her younger days, and has ignored her marriage covenant made before God.

  • Ps 90:3
    68%

    3You make mankind return to the dust, and say,“Return, O people!”

  • Eccl 4:3
    68%

    3But better than both is the one who has not been born and has not seen the evil things that are done on earth.

  • Eccl 8:15
    68%

    15Enjoy Life In Spite of Its Injustices So I recommend the enjoyment of life, for there is nothing better on earth for a person to do except to eat, drink, and enjoy life. So joy will accompany him in his toil during the days of his life which God gives him on earth.

  • Lam 3:27
    68%

    27It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young.

  • Ps 143:5
    68%

    5I recall the old days; I meditate on all you have done; I reflect on your accomplishments.

  • Eccl 3:1
    68%

    1A Time for All Events in Life For everything there is an appointed time, and an appropriate time for every activity on earth:

  • Eccl 7:2
    68%

    2It is better to go to a funeral than a feast. For death is the destiny of every person, and the living should take this to heart.

  • Job 17:11
    68%

    11My days have passed, my plans are shattered, even the desires of my heart.