Translation
But it will not be good for the wicked, nor will he prolong his days like a shadow
Go to footnote numberbecause he does not fear before ELOHIM.
Go to footnote numberParaphrase
But it will not go well for the wicked; they will not have their life made longer and longer because they show no fear of THE CREATOR AND RULER OF ALL THINGS when considering spiritual matters.
Footnotes
1: “prolong his days”
In the previous verse he uses an example of a wicked person whose days were prolonged, here he says a wicked person’s days will not be prolonged. Which is it? I think verse 12 is talking about our perception – we see someone who is living an evil life and yet appears to be blessed by God. Verse 13 is talking about reality – a wicked person will not have the blessing of a long, peaceful, joy-filled life. The point he is making is that we should not trust our perception. Even when it seems that the wicked prosper and God does not do anything, we should not believe that perception because reality is different than our perception.
2
In the paraphrase I have chosen to render the phrase “before Elohim” as “when considering spiritual matters.” This is because everything we do is done “before God,” but this is saying, when it comes to matters of the heart, and when a person is considering their spiritual condition, they have no fear of God.