Ecclesiastes 8:13

13 Sinful people don't respect God. So things won't go well with them. Like a shadow, they won't be around very long.

Ecclesiastes 8:13 Meaning and Commentary

Ecclesiastes 8:13

But it shall not be well with the wicked
It shall be ill with him; more is designed than is expressed, ( Isaiah 3:11 ) ; in life they have no solid peace and comfort; at death they will be turned into at judgment they will hear the awful sentence, "Go, ye cursed", and will be in torment to all eternity, ( Matthew 25:41 ) ; neither shall he prolong [his] days, [which are] as a shadow:
wicked men sometimes do not live out half their days, which, according to the course of nature, and common term of life, they might be thought to live; or if they prolong their days in wickedness, as sometimes they do, ( Ecclesiastes 7:15 ) ; yet their days at longest are but a shadow which declines, and is quickly gone; or, however, they do not attain to eternal life, which is sometimes meant by prolonging days, and is length of days for ever and ever, ( Isaiah 53:10 ) ( Psalms 21:4 ) ; this they never enjoy; but when the righteous go into life lasting, they go into everlasting punishment. The reason of this is, because he feareth not before God;
the fear of God is not before his eyes, nor in his heart; he goes on in sin without fear of him, boldly and openly commits it, and instead of taking shame for it, or repenting of it, glories in it; stretches out his hand against God, and bids defiance to him, and desires not the knowledge of him, and refuses to obey him The Targum of the whole is,

``and it shall not be well with the wicked, and he shall have no space in the world to come; and in this world his days shall be cut off, and they shall flee and pass away as a shadow, because he fears not God.''

Ecclesiastes 8:13 In-Context

11 Sometimes the sentence for a crime isn't carried out quickly. So people make plans to commit even more crimes.

12 An 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.

13 Sinful people don't respect God. So things won't go well with them. Like a shadow, they won't be around very long.

14 Here's something else on this earth that doesn't have any meaning. Sometimes godly men get what sinful people should receive. And sinful men get what godly people should receive. Here's what I'm telling you. That doesn't have any meaning either.

15 So I advise everyone to enjoy life. A man on this earth can't do anything better than eat and drink and be glad. Then he will enjoy his work. He'll be happy all the days of the life God has given him on earth.