Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Then 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. New Living Translation I 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. English Standard Version Then 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. Berean Standard Bible Then too, I saw the burial of the wicked who used to go in and out of the holy place, and they were praised in the city where they had done so. This too is futile. King James Bible And 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. New King James Version Then 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. New American Standard Bible So then, I have seen the wicked buried, those who used to go in and out of the holy place, and they are soon forgotten in the city where they did such things. This too is futility. NASB 1995 So 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. NASB 1977 So 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. Legacy Standard Bible So 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 vanity. Amplified Bible So then, I have seen the wicked buried, those who used to go in and out of the holy place [but did not thereby escape their doom], and they are [praised in spite of their evil and] soon forgotten in the city where they did such things. This too is futility (vanity, emptiness). Christian Standard Bible In such circumstances, I saw the wicked buried. They came and went from the holy place, and they were praised in the city where they did those things. This too is futile. Holman Christian Standard Bible In such circumstances, 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. American Standard Version So 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. Contemporary English Version I saw the wicked buried with honor, but God's people had to leave the holy city and were forgotten. None of this makes sense. English Revised Version And withal 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. GOD'S WORD® Translation Then 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. Good News Translation Yes, I have seen the wicked buried and in their graves, but on the way back from the cemetery people praise them in the very city where they did their evil. It is useless. International Standard Version So I watched the wicked being entombed. They used to come in and out of the Holy Place, but now they are forgotten in the city, where they used to work. This, too, is pointless. Majority Standard Bible Then too, I saw the burial of the wicked who used to go in and out of the holy place, and they were praised in the city where they had done so. This too is futile. NET Bible Not only that, but I have seen the wicked approaching and entering the temple, and as they left the holy temple, they boasted in the city that they had done so. This also is an enigma. New Heart English Bible So I saw the wicked buried. Indeed they came also from holy place. They went and were praised in the city where they did this. This also is vanity. Webster's Bible Translation And 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. World English Bible So I saw the wicked buried. Indeed they came also from holiness. They went and were forgotten in the city where they did this. This also is vanity. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd so I have seen the wicked buried, and they went in, even from the Holy Place they go, and they are forgotten in the city whether they had so done. This [is] also vanity. Young's Literal Translation And so I have seen the wicked buried, and they went in, even from the Holy Place they go, and they are forgotten in the city whether they had so done. This also is vanity. Smith's Literal Translation And so then I saw the unjust buried, and they came and they will go from the holy place, and they will be forgotten in the city where they did thus: also this is vanity. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleI 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. Catholic Public Domain Version I have seen the impious buried. These same, while they were still living, were in the holy place, and they were praised in the city as workers of justice. But this, too, is emptiness. New American Bible Meanwhile I saw the wicked buried. They would come and go from the holy place. But those were forgotten in the city who had acted justly. This also is vanity. New Revised Standard Version Then 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. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the holy place, and they were forgotten in the city where they had done such evil things; this also is vanity. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And then I saw the wicked being buried, and they came, and they went from the place of holiness and were forgotten in the city where they had thus worked, and this also is futility OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And so I saw the wicked buried, and they entered into their rest; but they that had done right went away from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city; this also is vanity. Brenton Septuagint Translation And then I saw the ungodly carried into the tombs, and that out of the holy place: and they departed, and were praised in the city, because they had done thus: this also is vanity. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Fear God10Then too, I saw the burial of the wicked who used to go in and out of the holy place, and they were praised in the city where they had done so. This too is futile. 11When the sentence for a crime is not speedily executed, the hearts of men become fully set on doing evil.… Cross References Proverbs 10:7 The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot. Psalm 37:35-36 I have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing like a well-rooted native tree, / yet he passed away and was no more; though I searched, he could not be found. Isaiah 26:14 The dead will not live; the departed spirits will not rise. Therefore You have punished and destroyed them; You have wiped out all memory of them. Job 21:7-13 Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power? / Their descendants are established around them, and their offspring before their eyes. / Their homes are safe from fear; no rod of punishment from God is upon them. ... Psalm 73:18-20 Surely You set them on slick ground; You cast them down into ruin. / How suddenly they are laid waste, completely swept away by terrors! / Like one waking from a dream, so You, O Lord, awaken and despise their form. Jeremiah 5:28-29 They have grown fat and sleek, and have excelled in the deeds of the wicked. They have not taken up the cause of the fatherless, that they might prosper; nor have they defended the rights of the needy. / Should I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this? Psalm 49:10-14 For it is clear that wise men die, and the foolish and the senseless both perish and leave their wealth to others. / Their graves are their eternal homes—their dwellings for endless generations—even though their lands were their namesakes. / But a man, despite his wealth, cannot endure; he is like the beasts that perish. ... Isaiah 14:18-20 All the kings of the nations lie in state, each in his own tomb. / But you are cast out of your grave like a rejected branch, covered by those slain with the sword, and dumped into a rocky pit like a carcass trampled underfoot. / You will not join them in burial, since you have destroyed your land and slaughtered your own people. The offspring of the wicked will never again be mentioned. Matthew 23:27-28 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity. / In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. Luke 12:19-20 Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ / But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’ James 1:11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its flower falls and its beauty is lost. So too, the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits. Revelation 18:7-8 As much as she has glorified herself and lived in luxury, give her the same measure of torment and grief. In her heart she says, ‘I sit as queen; I am not a widow and will never see grief.’ / Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and grief and famine—and she will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.” Psalm 92:7 that though the wicked sprout like grass, and all evildoers flourish, they will be forever destroyed. Proverbs 11:7 When the wicked man dies, his hope perishes, and the hope of his strength vanishes. Isaiah 57:1-2 The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no one considers that the righteous are taken away from the presence of evil. / Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest, lying down in death. Treasury of Scripture And 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. so 2 Kings 9:34,35 And when he was come in, he did eat and drink, and said, Go, see now this cursed woman, and bury her: for she is a king's daughter… Job 21:18,32,33 They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away… Luke 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; the place Psalm 122:1-5 A Song of degrees of David. I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD… Acts 6:13 And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: they were Ecclesiastes 2:16 For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool. Ecclesiastes 9:5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Psalm 31:12 I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel. Jump to Previous Acted Buried City Entered Evil Forgotten Holiness Holy Indeed Praise Praised Receive Rest Right Rightly Soon Used Vanity Whether WickedJump to Next Acted Buried City Entered Evil Forgotten Holiness Holy Indeed Praise Praised Receive Rest Right Rightly Soon Used Vanity Whether WickedEcclesiastes 8 1. true wisdom is modest2. 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 Then too, I saw the burial of the wicked This phrase highlights the observation of the burial practices for the wicked. In ancient Israel, burial was a significant event, often reflecting one's status and reputation. The wicked receiving a proper burial suggests a societal failure to recognize or address their moral corruption. This can be contrasted with the fate of the righteous, who sometimes suffer unjustly (Ecclesiastes 7:15). The burial of the wicked may also imply a temporary triumph of evil, as seen in Psalm 73:3-12, where the prosperity of the wicked is lamented. who used to go in and out of the holy place and they were praised in the city where they had done so This too is futile Persons / Places / Events 1. The WickedIndividuals who live in opposition to God's commandments, often engaging in sinful behavior. 2. The Holy Place Likely refers to the temple or a place of worship where religious activities are conducted. 3. The City Represents the community or society that observes and often praises the wicked despite their actions. 4. Burial The event of the wicked being buried, symbolizing the end of their earthly life. 5. The Preacher (Qoheleth) Traditionally understood to be Solomon, the author of Ecclesiastes, who reflects on the futility of life. Teaching Points The Illusion of Earthly PraiseEarthly praise is fleeting and often misplaced. The wicked may receive accolades in life, but this does not equate to divine approval. The Futility of Wickedness The temporary success and recognition of the wicked are ultimately futile. True fulfillment and purpose are found in living a life aligned with God's will. The Importance of Godly Legacy Consider the legacy you are leaving. Unlike the wicked, strive to leave a legacy of faithfulness and righteousness that honors God. The Reality of Divine Justice While the wicked may seem to prosper, God's justice prevails. Trust in His timing and righteousness, knowing that He will ultimately set things right. Reflecting on Our Own Lives Examine your own life and motivations. Are you seeking the approval of people or God? Align your actions with eternal values rather than temporary recognition.(10) They had so done.--An ambiguity in translation of this verse arises from the fact that the word translated "so" is rendered "well" (2Kings 7:9 and elsewhere). Consequently some understand the verse, "The wicked receive an honourable burial, while those who have acted well are driven away from the holy place (viz. Jerusalem, Isaiah 48:2; Neh. xi, 1, 18) and forgotten." But we prefer to translate the word "so" the second time, as well as the first, where it occurs in the verse; and to take the meaning to be that the oppressor's prosperity is but temporary, for soon comes death, burial, and forgetfulness of his honour.Verses 10-15. - Section 6. Koheleth is troubled by apparent anomalies in God's moral government. He notes the prosperity of the godless and the misery of the righteous, God's abstention and the seeming impunity of sinners make men incredulous of Providence; but God is just in reward and punishment, as the end will prove. Meantime, returning to his old maxim, he advises men patiently to acquiesce in things as they are, and to make the best of life. Verse 10. - And so (וּבְכֵן); then, in like manner, under the same circumstances (Esther 4:16). The writer notes some apparent exceptions to the law of retribution of which he has just been speaking, the double particle at the beginning of the verse implying the connection with the preceding statement. I saw the wicked buried. "The wicked" are especially the despots (ver. 9). These are carried to their graves with every outward honor and respect, like the rich man in the parable, who "died, and was buried" (Luke 16:22). Such men, if they had received their due reward, far from having a pompous and magnificent funeral (which would befit only a good and honored life), would have been buried with the burial of an ass (comp. Isaiah 14:19; Jeremiah 22:19). So far the Authorized Version is undeniably correct. What follows is as certainly inaccurate as it is unintelligible. Who had come and gone from the place of the holy; literally, and they came, and from the place of the holy they went. The first verb seems to mean, "they came to their rest," they died a natural death. The words, in themselves ambiguous, are explained by the connection in which they stand (comp. Isaiah 57:2). Wright renders, "they came into being," and explains it with the following clause, "they went away from the holy place," as one generation coming and another going, in constant succession. But if, as we suppose, the paragraph applies to the despot, such an interpretation is unsuitable. Cox's idea, that oppressive despots "come again" in the persons of their wicked children, is wholly unsupported by the text. The verse admits and has received a dozen explanations differing more or less from one another. A good deal depends upon the manner in which the succeeding clause is translated, And they were forgotten in the city where they had so done. As the particle rendered "so" (ken) may also mean "well," "rightly," we get the rendering, "even such as acted justly," and thus introduce a contrast between the fate of the wicked man who is honored with a sumptuous funeral, and that of the righteous whose name is cast out as pollution and soon forgotten. So Cheyne ('Job and Solomon') gives, "And in accordance with this I have seen ungodly men honored, and that too in the holy place (the temple, Isaiah 18:7), but those who had acted rightly had to depart, and were forgotten in the city." Against this interpretation, which has been adopted by many, it may reasonably be urged that in the same verse ken would hardly be used in two different senses, and that there is nothing in the text to indicate a change of subject. It seems to me that the whole verse applies to the wicked man. He dies in peace, he leaves the holy place; the evil that he has done is forgotten in the very city where he had so done, i.e. done wickedly. "The place of the holy" is Jerusalem (Isaiah 48:2; Matthew 27:53) or the temple (Matthew 24:15). He is removed by death from that spot, the very name of which ought to have cried shame on his crimes and impiety. The expression seems to picture a great procession of priests and Levites accompanying the corpse of the deceased tyrant to the place of burial, while the final clause implies that no long lamentation was made over him, no monument erected to his memory (see the opposite of this in the treatment of Josiah, 2 Chronicles 35:24, 25). They who consider "the righteous " to be the subject of the last clauses see in the words, "from the holy place they departed," an intimation that these were excommunicated from the synagogue or temple, or banished from the promised land, on account of their opinions. I would translate the passage thus: In like manner have I seen the wicked buried, and they came to their rest, and they went from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city where they had so (wickedly) acted. The versions have followed various readings. Thus the Septuagint: "And then I saw the impious brought unto graves, and from the holy place; and they departed and were praised in the city, because they had so done;" Vulgate, "I have seen the impious buried, who also, while they still lived, were in the holy place, and were praised in the city as if men of just doings." Commenting oh this version, St. Gregory writes, "The very tranquility of the peace of the Church conceals many under the Christian name who are beset with the plague of their own wickedness. But if a light breath of persecution strikes them, it sweeps them away at once as chaff from the threshing-floor. But some persons wish to bear the mark of Christian calling, because, since the name of Christ has been exalted on high, nearly all persons now look to appear faithful, and from seeing others called thus, they are ashamed not to seem faithful themselves; but they neglect to be that which they beast of being called. For they assume the reality of inward excellence, to adorn their outward appearance; and they who stand before the heavenly Judge, naked from the unbelief of their heart, are clothed, in the sight of men, with a holy profession, at least in words" ('Moral.,' 25:26). This is also vanity. The old refrain recurs to the writer as he thinks on the prosperity of the wicked, and the conclusions which infidels draw therefrom. Here is another example of the vanity that prevails in all earthly circumstances. Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Then too,וּבְכֵ֡ן (ū·ḇə·ḵên) Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Adverb Strong's 3651: So -- thus I saw רָאִיתִי֩ (rā·’î·ṯî) Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular Strong's 7200: To see the burial קְבֻרִ֜ים (qə·ḇu·rîm) Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural Strong's 6912: To inter of the wicked רְשָׁעִ֨ים (rə·šā·‘îm) Adjective - masculine plural Strong's 7563: Wrong, an, bad person who had come וָבָ֗אוּ (wā·ḇā·’ū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go and gone יְהַלֵּ֔כוּ (yə·hal·lê·ḵū) Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk from the holy קָדוֹשׁ֙ (qā·ḏō·wōš) Adjective - masculine singular Strong's 6918: Sacred, God, an angel, a saint, a sanctuary place וּמִמְּק֤וֹם (ū·mim·mə·qō·wm) Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 4725: A standing, a spot, a condition and were praised וְיִֽשְׁתַּכְּח֥וּ (wə·yiš·tak·kə·ḥū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 7911: To mislay, to be oblivious of, from want of memory, attention in the city בָעִ֖יר (ḇā·‘îr) Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular Strong's 5892: Excitement where אֲשֶׁ֣ר (’ă·šer) Pronoun - relative Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that they had done עָשׂ֑וּ (‘ā·śū) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural Strong's 6213: To do, make so. כֵּן־ (kên-) Adjective - masculine singular Strong's 3651: So -- thus This זֶ֖ה (zeh) Pronoun - masculine singular Strong's 2088: This, that too גַּם־ (gam-) Conjunction Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and is futile. הָֽבֶל׃ (hā·ḇel) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 1892: Emptiness, vanity, transitory, unsatisfactory Links Ecclesiastes 8:10 NIVEcclesiastes 8:10 NLT Ecclesiastes 8:10 ESV Ecclesiastes 8:10 NASB Ecclesiastes 8:10 KJV Ecclesiastes 8:10 BibleApps.com Ecclesiastes 8:10 Biblia Paralela Ecclesiastes 8:10 Chinese Bible Ecclesiastes 8:10 French Bible Ecclesiastes 8:10 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 8:10 So I saw the wicked buried (Ecclesiast. 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