Ecclesiastes 8:14

There is a vanity which is done upon the earth: that there are righteous men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous — I said that this also is vanity.

JPS TaNaKH 1917

In The King James Version

There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.

In Context

13but 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.

15So I commended mirth, that a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry, and that this should accompany him in his labour all the days of his life which God hath given him under the sun.

Read all of Ecclesiastes 8

Cross References

Job 1:22For all this Job sinned not, nor ascribed aught unseemly to God.

Job 21:7Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, wax mighty in power?

Job 24:21He devoureth the barren that beareth not; and doeth not good to the widow.

Psalms 73:3For I was envious at the arrogant, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Ecclesiastes 2:14The wise man, his eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness. And I also perceived that one event happeneth to them all.

Ecclesiastes 4:8There is one that is alone, and he hath not a second; yea, he hath neither son nor brother; yet is there no end of all his labour, neither is his eye satisfied with riches: 'for whom then do I labour, and bereave my soul of pleasure?' This also is vanity, yea, it is a grievous business.

Matthew Henry on Ecclesiastes 8:10-14

The Evil of Oppressive Rulers. 9 All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt. 10 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. 11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. 12 Though a sinner do… Read the whole commentary →

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