Ecclesiastes 12:9-13

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, and here is the conclusion: Revere God, and obey his commandments, because those commandments summarize everything that people should do.