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;”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Context
This verse opens the book's closing poem on aging and death, calling the reader to devotion to the Creator before the years of decline set in.
What Does Ecclesiastes 12:1 Mean?
This verse means that we should turn our hearts to God early in life, building everything on Him before the harder years of age and weakness arrive. "Remember" here is more than recalling a fact; it is keeping God at the center, ordering our lives around Him. The Preacher addresses the young especially because youth is when habits form, strength is full, and the foundations of a whole life are being laid.
The phrase "while the evil days come not" looks ahead to the decline of old age, which the rest of the chapter poetically describes -- failing eyes, trembling hands, fading desire. The Preacher is not being grim but wise: the time to know and love your Creator is now, not someday. Waiting until strength is gone and pleasure has faded makes the turning harder. To remember our Creator in youth is to spend our best years on the One who made us, so that whatever the later seasons bring, our lives are already anchored in Him who gave us breath and will keep us to the end.
In the Original Language
The verb zekhor (זְכֹר), "remember," means to keep in mind and act upon, while bor'ekha (בּוֹרְאֶךָ) means "your Creator," the One who made you.
Cross References
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”
- Ecclesiastes 12:13
“O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.”
- Psalm 71:17
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
- Matthew 6:33
Application
Do not put off knowing God until life is harder; center your heart on your Creator now, while you have strength and years to give Him.