I looked and saw how much people were suffering on this earth. I saw the tears of those who are suffering. They don’t have anyone to comfort them. Power is on the side of those who treat them badly. Those who are suffering don’t have anyone to comfort them.

我又转念，见日光之下所行的一切欺压。看哪，受欺压的流泪，且无人安慰；欺压他们的有势力，也无人安慰他们。

我转而观看日光之下所发生的一切欺压之事。看哪，受欺压的流泪，无人安慰；欺压他们的有权势，也无人安慰。

我转而观看日光之下所发生的一切欺压之事。看哪，受欺压的流泪，无人安慰；欺压他们的有权势，也无人安慰。

于是，我又观察日光之下的一切欺压之事。我看见受欺压的泪流满面，无人安慰。因为欺压者有权有势，所以无人安慰他们。

我又看见日光之下所发生一切欺压的事：受欺压的流泪，却无人安慰他们；欺压他们的，手里握着权柄，因此无人安慰受欺压的。

我转眼又看到在日光之下所行的一切欺压。看哪，受欺压者流泪，无人安慰他们！权势在欺压他们的人手中，却无人安慰受欺压者！

我又轉念，見日光之下所行的一切欺壓。看哪，受欺壓的流淚，且無人安慰；欺壓他們的有勢力，也無人安慰他們。

我轉而觀看日光之下所發生的一切欺壓之事。看哪，受欺壓的流淚，無人安慰；欺壓他們的有權勢，也無人安慰。

我轉而觀看日光之下所發生的一切欺壓之事。看哪，受欺壓的流淚，無人安慰；欺壓他們的有權勢，也無人安慰。

於是，我又觀察日光之下的一切欺壓之事。我看見受欺壓的淚流滿面，無人安慰。因為欺壓者有權有勢，所以無人安慰他們。

我又看見日光之下所發生一切欺壓的事：受欺壓的流淚，卻無人安慰他們；欺壓他們的，手裡握著權柄，因此無人安慰受欺壓的。

我又看、日光之下所行的一切欺壓：看哪，受欺壓的流淚，無人安慰！欺壓他們的、手裏有勢力，也無人安慰！

我轉眼又看到在日光之下所行的一切欺壓。看哪，受欺壓者流淚，無人安慰他們！權勢在欺壓他們的人手中，卻無人安慰受欺壓者！

我轉觀日下所行之虐、見受虐者流涕、慰藉無人、行虐者有權、受虐者不得慰藉、

我復思天下之秉鈞者、虐遇民人、民罹其酷、靡不墮淚、慰藉無人。

我復見日下多有冤屈、受屈者流淚、慰之者無人、虐之者勢大、慰之者無人、

Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed— and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors— and they have no comforter.

Again I saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power, and there was no one to comfort them.

Again, I observed all the oppression that takes place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, with no one to comfort them. The oppressors have great power, and their victims are helpless.

Again, I observed all the acts of oppression being done under the sun. Look at the tears of those who are oppressed; they have no one to comfort them. Power is with those who oppress them; they have no one to comfort them.

Then I looked again at all the acts of oppression which were being done under the sun. And behold, I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had no one to comfort them; and power was on the side of their oppressors, but they had no one to comfort them.

Then I returned and considered all the oppression that is done under the sun: And look! The tears of the oppressed, But they have no comforter— On the side of their oppressors there is power, But they have no comforter.

Then I returned and saw 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.

Again, I observed all the acts of oppression being done under the sun. Look at the tears of those who are oppressed; they have no one to comfort them. Power is with those who oppress them; they have no one to comfort them.

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.

So I again considered all the oppression that continually occurs on earth. This is what I saw: The oppressed were in tears, but no one was comforting them; no one delivers them from the power of their oppressors.

Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of those who were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

Here’s something else I saw on earth. Where people should be treated right, they are treated wrong. Where people should be treated fairly, they are treated unfairly.

The vineyard of the Lord who rules over all is the nation of Israel. The people of Judah are the vines he took delight in. He kept looking for them to do what is fair. But all he saw was blood being spilled. He kept looking for them to do what is right. But all he heard were cries of suffering.

Suppose you see poor people being mistreated somewhere. And what is being done to them isn’t right or fair. Don’t be surprised by that. One official is watched by a higher one. Officials who are even higher are watching both of them.

You have even failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields. Their pay is crying out against you. The cries of those who gathered the harvest have reached the ears of the Lord. He rules over all.

Jerusalem weeps bitterly at night. Tears run down her cheeks. None of her friends comforts her. All those who were going to help her have turned against her. They have become her enemies.

Her skirts are dirty. She didn’t think about how things might turn out. Her fall from power amazed everyone. And no one was there to comfort her. She said,“ Lord, please pay attention to how much I’m suffering. My enemies have won the battle over me.”

But all this has happened so that the words of the prophets would come true.” Then all the disciples left him and ran away.

“ So I will come and put you on trial. I will be quick to bring charges against all of you,” says the Lord who rules over all.“ I will bring charges against you sinful people who do not have any respect for me. That includes those who practice evil magic. It includes those who commit adultery and those who tell lies in court. It includes those who cheat workers out of their pay. It includes those who treat widows badly. It also includes those who mistreat children whose fathers have died. And it includes those who take away the rights of outsiders in the courts.

We’ve refused to obey the Lord. We’ve made evil plans against him. We’ve turned our backs on our God. We’ve stirred up conflict and refused to follow him. We’ve told lies that came from our own minds.So people stop others from doing what is fair. They keep them from doing what is right. No one tells the truth in court anymore. No one is honest there.In fact, truth can’t be found anywhere. Those who refuse to do evil are attacked. The Lord sees that people aren’t treating others fairly. That makes him unhappy.

Look and see that no one is on my right side to help me. No one is concerned about me. I have no place of safety. No one cares whether I live or die.

You didn’t give us any straw. But you told us,‘ Make bricks!’ We are being whipped. But it’s the fault of your own people.”Pharaoh said,“ You are lazy! That’s why you keep saying,‘ Let us go. We want to offer sacrifices to the Lord.’Now get to work. We won’t give you any straw. But you still have to make the same number of bricks.”The Israelite overseers realized they were in trouble. They knew it when they were told,“ Don’t reduce the number of bricks you are required to make each day.”

I say to God my Rock,“ Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go around in sorrow? Why am I treated so badly by my enemies?”

They are always in a hurry to sin. They run quickly to murder those who aren’t guilty. They love to think up evil plans. They leave a trail of harmful actions.

So the Lord became very angry with them. He handed them over to the Philistines and the Ammonites.That year they broke Israel’s power completely. They treated the Israelites badly for 18 years. The people who did this lived east of the Jordan River. They lived in Gilead. That was the land of the Amorites.

My tears have been my food day and night. All day long people say to me,“ Where is your God?”

The poor don’t have any clothes. So they spend the night naked. They don’t have anything to cover themselves in the cold.They are soaked by mountain rains. They hug the rocks because they don’t have anything to keep them warm.Children whose fathers have died are torn away from their mothers. A poor person’s baby is taken away to pay back what is owed.The poor don’t have any clothes. They go around naked. They carry bundles of grain, but they still go hungry.They work very hard as they crush olives. They stomp on grapes in winepresses, but they are still thirsty.The groans of those who are dying are heard from the city. Those who are wounded cry out for help. But God doesn’t charge anyone with doing what is wrong.

The Lord says,“ The poor are being robbed. Those who are in need groan. So I will stand up to help them. I will keep them safe from those who tell lies about them.”

Some men and their wives cried out against their Jewish brothers and sisters.Some of them were saying,“ There are now many of us. We have many sons and daughters. We have to get some grain so we can eat and stay alive.”Others were saying,“ We’re being forced to sell our fields, vineyards and homes. We have to do it to buy grain. There isn’t enough food for everyone.”Still others were saying,“ We’ve had to borrow money. We needed it to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards.We belong to the same family lines as the rest of our people. Our children are as good as theirs. But we’ve had to sell them off as slaves. Some of our daughters have already been made slaves. But we can’t do anything about it. That’s because our fields and vineyards now belong to others.”

They have broken my heart by saying evil things about me. It has left me helpless. I looked for pity, but I didn’t find any. I looked for someone to comfort me, but I didn’t find anyone.

When a wise person takes wealth by force, they become foolish. It is sinful to take money from people who want special favors.

If you and I changed places, I could say the same things you are saying. I could make fine speeches against you. I could shake my head at you.

Instead, I will give it to those who made you suffer. They said to you,‘ Fall down flat on the ground. Then we can walk all over you.’ And that is exactly what you did. You made your back like a street to be walked on.”

All day long my enemies laugh at me. Those who make fun of me use my name as a curse.I eat ashes as my food. My tears fall into what I’m drinking.

Then Pharaoh gave an order to all his people. He said,“ You must throw every Hebrew baby boy into the Nile River. But let every Hebrew baby girl live.”

They hide and wait like a lion in the bushes. From their hiding places they wait to catch those who are helpless. They catch them and drag them off in their nets.Those they have attacked are beaten up. They fall to the ground. They fall because their attackers are too strong for them.

Then once again you will see the difference between godly people and sinful people. And you will see the difference between those who serve me and those who do not.

Jabin used 900 chariots that had some iron parts. He treated the Israelites very badly for 20 years. So they cried out to the Lord for help.

Stop what you are saying. Don’t be so unfair. Think it over again. You are trying to take my honesty away from me.

They made them work hard. They didn’t show them any pity.The people suffered because of their hard labor. The slave drivers forced them to work with bricks and mud. And they made them do all kinds of work in the fields. The Egyptians didn’t show them any pity at all. They made them work very hard.

Poor people are avoided by their whole family. Their friends avoid them even more. The poor person runs after his friends to beg for help. But they can’t be found.

Here’s something else you do. You flood the Lord’ s altar with your tears. You weep and cry because your offerings don’t please him anymore. He doesn’t accept them with pleasure from your hands.

“ You are the ones who help the other Hebrew women. Watch them when they get into a sitting position to have their babies. Kill the boys. Let the girls live.”

You have given us tears as our food. You have made us drink tears by the bowlful.

“ Have pity on me, my friends! Please have pity! God has struck me down with his powerful hand.Why do you chase after me as he does? Aren’t you satisfied with what you have done to me already?

“ People cry out when they are treated badly. They beg to be set free from the power of those who are over them.

An evil person who rules over helpless people is like a roaring lion or an angry bear.A ruler who is mean to his people takes money from them by force. But one who hates money gained in the wrong way will rule a long time.

A ruler who treats poor people badly is like a pounding rain that leaves no crops.

The first time I was put on trial, no one came to help me. Everyone deserted me. I hope they will be forgiven for it.The Lord stood at my side. He gave me the strength to preach the whole message. Then all the Gentiles heard it. I was saved from the lion’s mouth.

A nation you don’t know anything about will eat what you work to produce on your land. You will only be treated badly as long as you live.

After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The people of Israel groaned because they were slaves. They also cried out to God. Their cry for help went up to him.God heard their groans. He remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

So he will send enemies against you. You will have to serve them. You will be hungry and thirsty. You will be naked and poor. The Lord will put the iron chains of slavery around your necks until he has destroyed you.