Translation
And I saw the wicked buried, those who come and go from the holy place, then they boasted
Go to footnote numberin the city of what they have done. This too is a vapor.
Go to footnote numberParaphrase
I have also seen wicked people be buried under normal circumstances (meaning they lived a full life, and grew to old age without disaster coming upon them for their wickedness). These were people who would go back and forth to the temple in a show of holy living, then they would boast throughout the city about how they were getting away with living a lie. This too is like a vapor.
Footnotes
1: “they boasted”
There is dispute over which Hebrew word should be considered original here. The Masoretic text has the word meaning “forgotten” while other Hebrew manuscripts have the word that means “boasted.” There is only one letter difference between the two. “Boasted” fits the context best.
2
This is “like a vapor” in that A: it Accomplished nothing; S: it is short-lived; E: it is Not Easily understood, and Endlessly frustrating; and S: it is Not Solid, not firm because this situation is sure to change. It is frustrating to watch people live in a way that should bring punishment from God, but remember, their time will come. God sees and God is just, but God is not bound by time the way we are.