1While you are still young, keep thinking about God, who created you.
2When you become old, the light from the sun and moon and stars will seem dim to you,
3Then your arms that you use to protect [MET] your bodies will shake/tremble,
4Your ears [MET] will not hear the noise in the streets,
5You will be afraid to be in high places
6Think much about God now, because soon our lives will end,
7Then our corpses will decay and become dirt again,
8So I say again that it is difficult to understand why everything happens;
9I was considered to be a very wise man, and I taught the people many things. I assembled/collected and wrote down many proverbs, and I carefully thought about and studied them.
10I searched for the right words, and what I have written is reliable and true.
11The things that I and other wise people say teach people what they should do; they are like [SIM] ◄goads/sharp sticks that people use to strike animals to direct where they should go►. They are like [SIM] nails that stick out of pieces of wood. They are given to us by God, who is like [MET] our shepherd.
12So, my son, pay careful attention to what I have written, and choose carefully what you read that others have written, because writing proverbs/books is endless, and trying to study them all will cause you to become exhausted.
13Now you have heard all that I have told you,
14And do not forget that God will judge everything that we do,