10I saw the wicked buried: who also when they were yet living were in the holy place, and were praised in the city as men of just works: but this also is vanity.
11For because sentence is not speedily pronounced against the evil, the children of men commit evils without any fear.
12But though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and by patience be borne withal, I know from thence that it shall be well with them that fear God, who dread his face.
13But let it not be well with the wicked, neither let his days be prolonged, but as a shadow let them pass away that fear not the face of the Lord.
Read more Explain verse
Ecclesiastes 8:10–13 — The New International Version (NIV)
10Then too, I saw the wicked buried—those who used to come and go from the holy place and receive praise in the city where they did this. This too is meaningless.
11When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong. 12Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know that it will go better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him. 13Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.
Ecclesiastes 8:10–13 — English Standard Version (ESV)
10Then I saw the wicked buried. They used to go in and out of the holy place and were praised in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity. 11Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. 12Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him. 13But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God.
Ecclesiastes 8:10–13 — King James Version (KJV 1900)
10And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity.
11Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. 12Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: 13But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.
Ecclesiastes 8:10–13 — New Living Translation (NLT)
10I have seen wicked people buried with honor. Yet they were the very ones who frequented the Temple and are now praised in the same city where they committed their crimes! This, too, is meaningless. 11When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong. 12But even though a person sins a hundred times and still lives a long time, I know that those who fear God will be better off. 13The wicked will not prosper, for they do not fear God. Their days will never grow long like the evening shadows.
Ecclesiastes 8:10–13 — The New King James Version (NKJV)
10Then I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of holiness, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done. This also is vanity. 11Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. 12Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him. 13But it will not be well with the wicked; nor will he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he does not fear before God.
Ecclesiastes 8:10–13 — New Century Version (NCV)
10I saw the funerals of evil people who used to go in and out of the holy place. They were honored in the same towns where they had done evil. This is useless, too.
11When evil people are not punished right away, it makes others want to do evil, too. 12Though a sinner might do a hundred evil things and might live a long time, I know it will be better for those who honor God. 13I also know it will not go well for evil people, because they do not honor God. Like a shadow, they will not last.
Ecclesiastes 8:10–13 — American Standard Version (ASV)
10So I saw the wicked buried, and they came to the grave; and they that had done right went away from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city: this also is vanity. 11Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. 12Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and prolong his days, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, that fear before him: 13but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.
Ecclesiastes 8:10–13 — 1890 Darby Bible (DARBY)
10And I have also seen the wicked buried and going away; and such as had acted rightly went from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city. This also is vanity. 11Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the children of men is fully set in them to do evil. 12Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and prolong his days, yet I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, because they fear before him; 13but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days as a shadow, because he feareth not before God.
Ecclesiastes 8:10–13 — GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)
10Then I saw wicked people given an ⸤honorable⸥ burial. They used to go in and out of the holy place. They were praised in the city for doing such things. Even this is pointless.
11When a sentence against a crime isn’t carried out quickly, people are encouraged to commit crimes. 12A sinner may commit a hundred crimes and yet live a long life. Still, I know with certainty that it will go well for those who fear God, because they fear him. 13But it will not go well for the wicked. They will not live any longer. Their lives are like shadows, because they don’t fear God.
Ecclesiastes 8:10–13 — The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
10In such circ*mstances, I saw the wicked buried. They came and went from the holy place, and they were praised in the city where they did so. This too is futile. 11Because the sentence against a criminal act is not carried out quickly, the heart of people is filled with the desire to commit crime. 12Although a sinner commits crime a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I also know that it will go well with God-fearing people, for they are reverent before Him. 13However, it will not go well with the wicked, and they will not lengthen their days like a shadow, for they are not reverent before God.
Ecclesiastes 8:10–13 — The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
10Then I saw the wicked buried; they used to go in and out of the holy place, and were praised in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity. 11Because sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the human heart is fully set to do evil. 12Though sinners do evil a hundred times and prolong their lives, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they stand in fear before him, 13but it will not be well with the wicked, neither will they prolong their days like a shadow, because they do not stand in fear before God.
Ecclesiastes 8:10–13 — The Lexham English Bible (LEB)
10Meanwhile, I saw the wicked being honorably buried, but those who came and went from the holy place were forgotten in the city, even though they had done so. This also is vanity!
11Because sentence against an evil deed is not carried out quickly, the heart of humans fills up within them to do evil. 12Although the sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I also know that it will be good for those who fear God—because they fear his presence. 13But it will not go well with the wicked, and they will not prolong their days, like the shadow; because there is no fearing God’s presence.
Ecclesiastes 8:10–13 — New International Reader’s Version (1998) (NIrV)
10I also saw sinful people being buried. They used to come and go from the place of worship. And others praised them in the city where they worshiped. That doesn’t have any meaning either.
11Sometimes the sentence for a crime isn’t carried out quickly. So people make plans to commit even more crimes.
12An evil man may be guilty of a hundred crimes and still live a long time. But I know that things will go better with men who have great respect for God. 13Sinful people don’t respect God. So things won’t go well with them. Like a shadow, they won’t be around very long.
Ecclesiastes 8:10–13 — New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (NASB95)
10So then, I have seen the wicked buried, those who used to go in and out from the holy place, and they are soon forgotten in the city where they did thus. This too is futility.
11Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil.
12Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may lengthen his life, still I know that it will be well for those who fear God, who fear Him openly.
13But it will not be well for the evil man and he will not lengthen his days like a shadow, because he does not fear God.
