Ecclesiastes 8:13
New International Version
Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.

New Living Translation
The wicked will not prosper, for they do not fear God. Their days will never grow long like the evening shadows.

English Standard Version
But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God.

Berean Standard Bible
Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.

King James Bible
But 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.

New King James Version
But 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.

New American Standard Bible
But it will not go well for the evil person and he will not lengthen his days like a shadow, because he does not fear God.

NASB 1995
But 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.

NASB 1977
But 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.

Legacy Standard Bible
But it will not be well for the wicked man, and he will not prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear God openly.

Amplified Bible
But it will not be well for the evil man, nor will he lengthen his days like a shadow, because he does not fear God.

Christian Standard Bible
However, 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.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
However, 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.

American Standard Version
but 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.

Contemporary English Version
but no one who sins and rejects God will prosper or live very long.

English Revised Version
but 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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But 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.

Good News Translation
but it will not go well for the wicked. Their life is like a shadow and they will die young, because they do not obey God."

International Standard Version
But things will not go well for the wicked person: he will not lengthen his life like a shadow, since he has no fear before God.

Majority Standard Bible
Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.

NET Bible
But it will not go well with the wicked, nor will they prolong their days like a shadow, because they do not stand in fear before God.

New Heart English Bible
But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he lengthen days like a shadow; because he doesn't fear God.

Webster's Bible Translation
But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.

World English Bible
But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he lengthen days like a shadow, because he doesn’t fear God.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And good is not to the wicked, and he does not prolong days as a shadow, because he is not fearing before God.

Young's Literal Translation
And good is not to the wicked, and he doth not prolong days as a shadow, because he is not fearing before God.

Smith's Literal Translation
And it shall not be good to the unjust one; he shall not lengthen the days as a shadow, for he feared not from before the face of God.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But 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.

Catholic Public Domain Version
So, may it not go well with the impious, and may his days not be prolonged. And let those who do not fear the face of the Lord pass away like a shadow.

New American Bible
and that it shall not be well with the wicked, who shall not prolong their shadowy days, for their lack of reverence toward God.

New Revised Standard Version
but 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.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are like a shadow; because he does not fear before God.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the wicked one will have no good, and he will not lengthen days like a shadow, because he is not in awe before God
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
but 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.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
but it shall not be well with the ungodly, and he shall not prolong his days, which are as a shadow; forasmuch as he fears not before God.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Fear God
12Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and still lives long, yet I also know that it will go well with those who fear God, who are reverent in His presence. 13Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.

Cross References
Psalm 37:9-10
For the evildoers will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land. / Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.

Proverbs 10:27
The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be cut short.

Isaiah 3:11
Woe to the wicked; disaster is upon them! For they will be repaid with what their hands have done.

Job 18:5-21
Indeed, the lamp of the wicked is extinguished; the flame of his fire does not glow. / The light in his tent grows dark, and the lamp beside him goes out. / His vigorous stride is shortened, and his own schemes trip him up. ...

Psalm 73:17-20
until I entered God’s sanctuary; then I discerned their end. / Surely You set them on slick ground; You cast them down into ruin. / How suddenly they are laid waste, completely swept away by terrors! ...

Proverbs 11:21
Be assured that the wicked will not go unpunished, but the offspring of the righteous will escape.

Isaiah 57:20-21
But the wicked are like the storm-tossed sea, for it cannot be still, and its waves churn up mire and muck. / “There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”

Job 20:5-29
the triumph of the wicked has been brief and the joy of the godless momentary? / Though his arrogance reaches the heavens, and his head touches the clouds, / he will perish forever, like his own dung; those who had seen him will ask, ‘Where is he?’ ...

Psalm 1:4-6
Not so the wicked! For they are like chaff driven off by the wind. / Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. / For the LORD guards the path of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Proverbs 24:20
For the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.

Matthew 13:49-50
So will it be at the end of the age: The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous / and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Romans 2:8-9
But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow wickedness, there will be wrath and anger. / There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil, first for the Jew, then for the Greek;

2 Thessalonians 1:8-9
in blazing fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. / They will suffer the penalty of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His might,

Matthew 25:41-46
Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. / For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, / I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after Me.’ ...

Luke 16:23-24
In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham from afar, with Lazarus by his side. / So he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. For I am in agony in this fire.’


Treasury of Scripture

But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he fears not before God.

it shall

Job 18:5
Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine.

Job 20:5
That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?

Job 21:30
That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.

neither

Psalm 55:23
But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.

Isaiah 30:13
Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant.

2 Peter 2:3
And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

as a

Ecclesiastes 6:12
For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

Job 7:6,7
My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope…

Job 14:2
He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.

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Ecclesiastes 8
1. true wisdom is modest
2. Kings are to be respected
6. Divine providence is to be observed
12. It is better with the godly in adversity, than with the wicked in prosperity
16. The work of God is unsearchable














Yet it will not be well with the wicked
The phrase "it will not be well" suggests a future state of discontent or misfortune. In Hebrew, the word for "wicked" is "רָשָׁע" (rasha), which refers to those who are morally wrong or guilty. The Bible consistently portrays the wicked as those who live in opposition to God's laws and principles. Historically, the wicked have been seen as those who reject divine wisdom and pursue their own selfish desires. This phrase serves as a reminder that despite any temporary success or prosperity, the ultimate fate of the wicked is one of judgment and lack of peace. The conservative Christian perspective emphasizes that true well-being is found in alignment with God's will, and the wicked, by their nature, are outside of this alignment.

nor will he prolong his days like a shadow
The imagery of a "shadow" in this context is significant. In ancient Near Eastern culture, a shadow was often used as a metaphor for something fleeting or insubstantial. The Hebrew word "צֵל" (tsel) conveys this idea of transience. The wicked may appear to thrive for a time, but their days are as fleeting as a shadow that quickly passes. This phrase underscores the temporary nature of earthly life and the futility of living apart from God's eternal purposes. From a conservative Christian viewpoint, this serves as a warning that life without God lacks true substance and permanence.

because he does not fear God
The "fear of God" is a central theme in biblical wisdom literature. The Hebrew word "יָרֵא" (yare) can mean fear, reverence, or awe. To fear God is to recognize His sovereignty, holiness, and authority. It is the beginning of wisdom and the foundation of a righteous life. The wicked, by contrast, live without this reverence, choosing instead to follow their own paths. Historically, those who did not fear God were often seen as rebellious and self-destructive. In a conservative Christian context, fearing God is not about being afraid of Him, but about having a deep respect and love for Him that leads to obedience and trust. This phrase highlights the root cause of the wicked's downfall: their lack of reverence for the Creator, which ultimately leads to their demise.

(13) As a shadow.--Ecclesiastes 6:12; Wisdom Of Solomon 2:5; see also Wisdom Of Solomon 4:8.

Verse 13. - But it shall not be well with the wicked. If experience seemed often to militate against this assertion, Koheleth's faith prevailed against apparent contradictions. Neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow. Above we read of a wicked man enjoying a long, untroubled life; here the contrary is stated. Such contradictions are seen every day. There are inscrutable reasons for the delay of judgment; but on the whole moral government is vindicated, and even the long life of a sinner is no blessing. The author of the Book of Wisdom writes (4:8), "Honorable age is not that which standeth in length of time, nor that is measured by number of years;" and Isaiah (Isaiah 65:20), "The sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed." Man's life is compared to a shadow because it passes away with the setting sun (see on Ecclesiastes 6:12). The Vulgate, in order to obviate the apparent discrepancy between this and the preceding verses, renders the verb in a precatory form: Non sit bonum impio, etc., "Let it not be well with the wicked, and let his days not be prolonged; but let them pass away as a shadow who fear not the Lord." This is quite unnecessary; and the words, "as a shadow," according to the accents, belong to what precedes, as in the Authorized Version. Hitzig and others have adopted the Vulgate division, and render, "Like a shadow is he who fears not God." But there is no sufficient reason for disregarding the existing accentuation. Septuagint, "He shall not prolong his days in a shadow (ἐν σκιᾷ)." Because he feareth not before God. This is the reason, looking to temporal retribution, why the wicked shall not live out half their days (Ecclesiastes 7:17; Proverbs 10:27; Psalm 55:23). Koheleth cleaves to the doctrine received from old time, although facts seem often to contradict it.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Yet because
אֲשֶׁ֛ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

[the wicked] do not
אֵינֶ֥נּוּ (’ê·nen·nū)
Adverb | third person masculine singular
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

fear
יָרֵ֖א (yā·rê)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 3373: Fearing, reverent

God,
אֱלֹהִֽים׃ (’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

it will not
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

go
יִהְיֶ֣ה (yih·yeh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

well
וְטוֹב֙ (wə·ṭō·wḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

with [them],
לָֽרָשָׁ֔ע (lā·rā·šā‘)
Preposition-l, Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7563: Wrong, an, bad person

and their days
יָמִ֖ים (yā·mîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3117: A day

will not
וְלֹֽא־ (wə·lō-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

lengthen
יַאֲרִ֥יךְ (ya·’ă·rîḵ)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 748: To be, long

like a shadow.
כַּצֵּ֑ל (kaṣ·ṣêl)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6738: A shadow


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