Ecclesiastes 8:9-11

Expanded Bible

Justice, Rewards, and Punishment

⁹ I saw all of this as I ·considered [^Lgave my heart to] all that is done here ·on earth [^Lunder the sun; 1:3]. Sometimes people harm those they control. ¹⁰ I saw ·the funerals of evil people [^Lthe wicked buried and departed] who used to go in and out of the holy place [^Cthe Temple]. They were ·honored [praised] in the same towns where they had done evil. This is useless [1:2], too [^Cit is not fair that the wicked thrive in life and are praised after they die].

¹¹ When ·evil people are not punished [^Lthe sentence for an evil deed is not carried out] right away, ·it makes others want to do evil, too [^Lthe human heart is filled with evildoing].