13 But it shall not be well to the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days: he shall be like a shadow, because he feareth not before God.

14 There is a vanity, which is done upon the earth, that there be righteous men to whom it cometh according to the [a]work of the wicked: and there be wicked men to whom it cometh according to the work of the just: I thought also that this is vanity.

15 And I praised joy, for there is no goodness to man under the sun, save [b]to eat and to drink and to rejoice: for this is adjoined to his labor the days of his life that God hath given him under the sun.

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Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 8:14 Which are punished as though they were wicked, as Eccl. 7:17.
  2. Ecclesiastes 8:15 Read Eccl. 3:22.

13 Yet because the wicked do not fear God,(A) it will not go well with them, and their days(B) will not lengthen like a shadow.

14 There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve.(C) This too, I say, is meaningless.(D) 15 So I commend the enjoyment of life(E), because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink(F) and be glad.(G) Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.

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