Ecclesiastes in Poem
A meditation on meaning, time, and the fear of God
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Vanity
“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher,
“All is vanity under the sun.”
Toil and gain, wisdom and feature—
Each begun, each undone.
I built great works, planted vineyards deep,
Gathered silver, gold, and art.
But when I turned my soul to keep,
Still emptiness gripped my heart.
For what has been will be again,
No new thing under the sky.
The cycles turn for mortal men,
We live, we strive, we die.
A Time
A time to plant, a time to pluck,
A time to break, a time to mend.
A time to cherish, a time to cast away,
A beginning, and also an end.
A time for silence, a time for speech,
A time for war, a time for peace.
God set eternity in our reach,
Yet our understanding finds no release.
Wisdom and Folly
Better wisdom than weapons of war,
Better light than darkness’ veil.
Yet the wise and fool both pass through the same door,
And over both, the same winds wail.
I said, “I will be wise,” but madness I found.
I said, “Pleasure will fill,” but it fled like a breath.
All paths on this weary, turning ground
Lead at last to the house of death.
Remember Your Creator
Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,
Before the years draw near when you’ll say, “I find no pleasure in them.”
Before the sun and moon and stars lose their truth,
And the dust returns to the earth’s hem.
Before the silver cord is severed,
The golden bowl broken, the pitcher shattered at the fountain.
For then, to the eternal land, you’ll be gathered—
Beyond the counting of days, beyond the mountain.
The End of the Matter
All has been heard.
Fear God, and keep His commands.
For this is the whole duty of man,
The only work that forever stands.
God will bring every deed to judgment,
Every hidden thing, good or ill.
So let your life be an acknowledgment
Of His holy, enduring will.
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“The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one shepherd.” (Ecclesiastes 12:11)
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