Ecclesiastes 3:16
New International Version
And I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgment—wickedness was there, in the place of justice—wickedness was there.

New Living Translation
I also noticed that under the sun there is evil in the courtroom. Yes, even the courts of law are corrupt!

English Standard Version
Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness.

Berean Standard Bible
Furthermore, I saw under the sun that in the place of judgment there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.

King James Bible
And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.

New King James Version
Moreover I saw under the sun: In the place of judgment, Wickedness was there; And in the place of righteousness, Iniquity was there.

New American Standard Bible
Furthermore, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is wickedness and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.

NASB 1995
Furthermore, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is wickedness and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.

NASB 1977
Furthermore, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.

Legacy Standard Bible
Furthermore, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.

Amplified Bible
Moreover, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.

Christian Standard Bible
I also observed under the sun: there is wickedness at the place of judgment and there is wickedness at the place of righteousness.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I also observed under the sun: there is wickedness at the place of judgment and there is wickedness at the place of righteousness.

American Standard Version
And moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And again I have seen under the sun the place of judgment: there is wickedness, and the place of righteousness: there is evil

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgement, there was the ungodly one; and the place of righteousness, there was the godly one.

Contemporary English Version
Everywhere on earth I saw violence and injustice instead of fairness and justice.

Douay-Rheims Bible
I saw under the sun in the place of judgment wickedness, and in the place of justice iniquity.

English Revised Version
And moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I saw something else under the sun: There is wickedness where justice should be found. There is wickedness where righteousness should be found.

Good News Translation
In addition, I have also noticed that in this world you find wickedness where justice and right ought to be.

International Standard Version
I also examined on earth: where the halls of justice were supposed to be, there was lawlessness; and where the righteous were supposed to be, there was lawlessness.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.

Literal Standard Version
And again, I have seen under the sun the place of judgment—there [is] the wicked; and the place of righteousness—there [is] the wicked.

Majority Standard Bible
Furthermore, I saw under the sun that in the place of judgment there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.

New American Bible
And still under the sun in the judgment place I saw wickedness, and wickedness also in the seat of justice.

NET Bible
I saw something else on earth: In the place of justice, there was wickedness, and in the place of fairness, there was wickedness.

New Revised Standard Version
Moreover I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, wickedness was there, and in the place of righteousness, wickedness was there as well.

New Heart English Bible
Moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.

Webster's Bible Translation
And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.

World English Bible
Moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.

Young's Literal Translation
And again, I have seen under the sun the place of judgment -- there is the wicked; and the place of righteousness -- there is the wicked.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
From Dust to Dust
16Furthermore, I saw under the sun that in the place of judgment there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness. 17I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every deed.”…

Cross References
Ecclesiastes 4:1
Again I looked, and I considered all the oppression taking place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; the power lay in the hands of their oppressors, and there was no comforter.

Ecclesiastes 5:8
If you see the oppression of the poor and the denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be astonished at the matter; for one official is watched by a superior, and others higher still are over them.

Ecclesiastes 8:9
All this I have seen, applying my mind to every deed that is done under the sun; there is a time when one man lords it over another to his own detriment.


Treasury of Scripture

And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.

Ecclesiastes 4:1
So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

Ecclesiastes 5:8
If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.

1 Kings 21:9-21
And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people: …

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Ecclesiastes 3
1. by the necessary change of times, vanity is added to human travail
11. is an excellence in God's works
16. as for man, God shall judge his works hereafter, though here he be like a beast














(16) This verse introduces the consideration of the difficulty arising from the imperfection of moral retribution in this life. Other places where the iniquity of judges is mentioned are Ecclesiastes 4:1; Ecclesiastes 5:8; Ecclesiastes 6:7; Ecclesiastes 8:9-10.

Verses 16-22. - Acknowledging the providential government of God, which controls events and places man's happiness out of his own power, one is confronted also by the fact that there is much wickedness, much injustice, in the world, which oppose all plans for peaceful enjoyment. Doubtless there shall be a day of retribution for such iniquities; and God allows them now in order to try men and to teach them humility. Meantime man's duty and happiness consist, as before said, in making the best use of the present and improving the opportunities which God gives him. Verse 16. - And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment. Koheleth records his experience of the prevalence of iniquity in high places. The place of judgment (mishat); where justice is administered. The accentuation allows (cf. Genesis 1:1) this to be regarded as the object of the verb. The Revised Version, with Hitzig, Ginsburg, and others, take מְקום as an adverbial expression equivalent to "in the place." The former is the simpler construction. "And moreover," at the commencement of the verse, looks back to ver. 10," I have seen the travail," etc. That wickedness (resha) was there. On the judicial seat iniquity sat instead of justice. The place of righteousness (tsedek). "Righteousness" is the peculiar characteristic of the judge himself, as "justice" is of his decisions. That iniquity (resha) was there. The word ought to be translated "wickedness" or "iniquity" in both clauses. The Septuagint takes the abstract for the concrete, and at the end has apparently introduced a clerical error, which has been perpetuated in the Arabic and elsewhere, "And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, there was the ungodly (ἀσεβής); and the place of the righteous, there was the godly (εὐσεβής)." The Complutensian Polyglot reads ἀσεβὴς in both places. It is impossible to harmonize these statements of oppression and injustice here and elsewhere (e.g., Ecclesiastes 4:1; Ecclesiastes 5:8; Ecclesiastes 8:9, 10) with Solomon's authorship of the book. It is contrary to fact that such a corrupt state of things existed in his time, and in writing thus he would be uttering a libel against himself. If he was cognizant of such evils in his kingdom, he had nothing to do but to put them down with a high hand. There is nothing to lead to the belief that he is speaking of other countries and other times; he is stating his own personal experience of what goes on around him. It is true that in Solomon's latter days disaffection secretly prevailed, and the people felt his yoke grievous (1 Kings 12:4); but there is no evidence of the existence of corruption in judicial courts, or of the social and political evils of which he speaks in this book. That he had a prophetical for, sight of the disasters that would accompany the reign of his successor, and endeavors herein to provide consolation for the future sufferers, is a pious opinion without historical basis, and cannot be justly used to support the genuineness of the work.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Furthermore,
וְע֥וֹד (wə·‘ō·wḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 5750: Iteration, continuance, again, repeatedly, still, more

I saw
רָאִ֖יתִי (rā·’î·ṯî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7200: To see

under
תַּ֣חַת (ta·ḥaṯ)
Preposition
Strong's 8478: The bottom, below, in lieu of

the sun
הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ (haš·šā·meš)
Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 8121: The sun, the east, a ray, a notched battlement

that in the place
מְק֤וֹם (mə·qō·wm)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4725: A standing, a spot, a condition

of judgment
הַמִּשְׁפָּט֙ (ham·miš·pāṭ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4941: A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style

there is
שָׁ֣מָּה (šām·māh)
Adverb | third person feminine singular
Strong's 8033: There, then, thither

wickedness,
הָרֶ֔שַׁע (hā·re·ša‘)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7562: Wickedness

and in the place
וּמְק֥וֹם (ū·mə·qō·wm)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4725: A standing, a spot, a condition

of righteousness
הַצֶּ֖דֶק (haṣ·ṣe·ḏeq)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6664: The right, equity, prosperity

there is
שָׁ֥מָּה (šām·māh)
Adverb | third person feminine singular
Strong's 8033: There, then, thither

wickedness.
הָרָֽשַׁע׃ (hā·rā·ša‘)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7562: Wickedness


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OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 3:16 Moreover I saw under the sun (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.)
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