---
title: "Ecclesiastes 12 – Catholic Bible (CPDV) & Latin Vulgate"
url: https://blessbible.app/bible/ecclesiastes/12/
description: "The Creator is to be remembered in the days of our youth: all worldly… Ecclesiastes 12 in the Catholic Public Domain Version, with the Latin Vulgate."
---

# Ecclesiastes 12

Ecclesiastes 12 is chapter 12 of 12 in the Book of Ecclesiastes. Here are all 14 verses in the Catholic Public Domain Version, with the Latin of the Clementine Vulgate beside them.

> The Creator is to be remembered in the days of our youth: all worldly things are vain: we should fear God and keep his commandments.
>
> — Bp. Richard Challoner, chapter summary

## Ecclesiastes 12 (Catholic Public Domain Version)

1. Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the time of affliction arrives and the years draw near, about which you will say, “These do not please me.”
2. Before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain,
3. when the guardians of the house will tremble, and the strongest men will waver, and those who grind grain will be idle, except for a small number, and those who look through the keyholes will be darkened.
4. And they will close the doors to the street, when the voice of he who grinds the grain will be humbled, and they will be disturbed at the sound of a flying thing, and all the daughters of song shall become deaf.
5. Likewise, they will fear the things above them, and they will dread the way. The almond tree will flourish; the locust will be fattened; and the caper plant will be scattered, because man shall go into the house of his eternity, and the mourners shall wander around in the street.
6. Before the silver cord is broken, and the golden band pulls away, and the pitcher is crushed over the fountain, and the wheel is broken above the cistern,
7. and the dust returns to its earth, from which it was, and the spirit returns to God, who granted it.
8. Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, and all is vanity!
9. And since Ecclesiastes was very wise, he taught the people, and he described what he had accomplished. And while searching, he composed many parables.
10. He sought useful words, and he wrote most righteous words, which were full of truth.
11. The words of the wise are like a goad, and like nails deeply fastened, which, through the counsel of teachers, are set forth by one pastor.
12. You should require no more than this, my son. For there is no end to the making of many books. And excessive study is an affliction to the flesh.
13. Let us all listen together to the end of the discourse. Fear God, and observe his commandments. This is everything for man.
14. And so, for all that is done and for each error, God will bring judgment: whether it was good or evil.

## Ecclesiastes 12 in Latin (Clementine Vulgate, 1592)

1. Memento Creatoris tui in diebus juventutis tuæ, antequam veniat tempus afflictionis, et appropinquent anni de quibus dicas: Non mihi placent;
2. antequam tenebrescat sol, et lumen, et luna, et stellæ, et revertantur nubes post pluviam;
3. quando commovebuntur custodes domus, et nutabunt viri fortissimi, et otiosæ erunt molentes in minuto numero, et tenebrescent videntes per foramina;
4. et claudent ostia in platea, in humilitate vocis molentis, et consurgent ad vocem volucris, et obsurdescent omnes filiæ carminis:
5. excelsa quoque timebunt, et formidabunt in via. Florebit amygdalus, impinguabitur locusta, et dissipabitur capparis, quoniam ibit homo in domum æternitatis suæ, et circuibunt in platea plangentes.
6. Antequam rumpatur funiculus argenteus, et recurrat vitta aurea, et conteratur hydria super fontem, et confringatur rota super cisternam,
7. et revertatur pulvis in terram suam unde erat, et spiritus redeat ad Deum, qui dedit illum.
8. Vanitas vanitatum, dixit Ecclesiastes, et omnia vanitas.
9. Cumque esset sapientissimus Ecclesiastes, docuit populum, et enarravit quæ fecerat; et investigans composuit parabolas multas.
10. Quæsivit verba utilia, et conscripsit sermones rectissimos ac veritate plenos.
11. Verba sapientium sicut stimuli, et quasi clavi in altum defixi, quæ per magistrorum consilium data sunt a pastore uno.
12. His amplius, fili mi, ne requiras. Faciendi plures libros nullus est finis; frequensque meditatio, carnis afflictio est.
13. Finem loquendi pariter omnes audiamus. Deum time, et mandata ejus observa: hoc est enim omnis homo,
14. et cuncta quæ fiunt adducet Deus in judicium pro omni errato, sive bonum, sive malum illud sit.

## Catechism of the Catholic Church

Paragraph numbers and the Catechism's own section headings (never quoted); text at vatican.va.
- CCC ¶ 1007: Dying in Christ Jesus ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))

## The saints

- “Man is created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord, and by this means to save his soul.” — St. Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises, 23, 1548 (On this theme: verse 13)

## Bishop Challoner's notes

Bp. Richard Challoner, notes on the Douay-Rheims (1750); they comment on its older wording.
- Verse 2: “Before the sun” … That is, before old age: the effects of which upon all the senses and faculties are described in the following verses, under a variety of figures.
- Verse 13: The whole business and duty of man.
- Verse 14: “Error” … Or, hidden and secret thing.

## Read at Mass (US)

- Sat, Sep 30, 2028 (computed): St. Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church — First Reading, Ecclesiastes 11:9—12:8

Dates after May 31, 2027 are computed by Bless from the US Lectionary cycle — confirm with your parish.

Source: Catholic Public Domain Version (Ronald L. Conte Jr., 2009), public domain; Latin: Clementine Vulgate (1592).