世上有一件虛空的事，就是義人遭受了惡人當受的報應，惡人卻享受了義人該享的福樂。我認為這也是虛空。

世上有一件虚空的事，就是义人所遭遇的，反照恶人所行的；又有恶人所遭遇的，反照义人所行的。我说，这也是虚空。

世上有一件虚空的事，就是义人所遭遇的，反而照恶人所做的；恶人所遭遇的，反而照义人所做的。我说，这也是虚空。

世上有一件虚空的事，就是义人所遭遇的，反而照恶人所做的；恶人所遭遇的，反而照义人所做的。我说，这也是虚空。

世上有一件虚空的事，就是义人遭受了恶人当受的报应，恶人却享受了义人该享的福乐。我认为这也是虚空。

在世上有一件虚空的事，就是义人照恶人所行的受报应，恶人照义人所行的得报偿。我说，这也是虚空。

有一件虚空的事发生在地上：临到义人的是照着恶人所行的，临到恶人的是照着义人所行的。我说：“这也是虚空！”

世上有一件虛空的事，就是義人所遭遇的，反照惡人所行的；又有惡人所遭遇的，反照義人所行的。我說，這也是虛空。

世上有一件虛空的事，就是義人所遭遇的，反而照惡人所做的；惡人所遭遇的，反而照義人所做的。我說，這也是虛空。

世上有一件虛空的事，就是義人所遭遇的，反而照惡人所做的；惡人所遭遇的，反而照義人所做的。我說，這也是虛空。

在世上有一件虛空的事，就是義人照惡人所行的受報應，惡人照義人所行的得報償。我說，這也是虛空。

有一件虛空的事、是地上常發生的：就是有義人、所遭遇的、是照惡人的行為應得的；又有惡人、所遭遇的、是照義人的行為所應得的：我說這也是虛空。

有一件虛空的事發生在地上：臨到義人的是照著惡人所行的，臨到惡人的是照著義人所行的。我說：「這也是虛空！」

世有虛空之事、有義人所遭、依惡人所作、有惡人所遇、依義人所為、我謂斯亦虛空、

天下事可為長太息者、有時義人遭難、幾同惡人、惡人蒙休、有類義人、我則曰、此屬於虛。

世間更有一患事、即有善人遭惡人所當遭者、有惡人遇善人所當遇者、我則曰、此亦屬於虛、

There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless.

Here’s something else on this earth that doesn’t have any meaning. Sometimes godly people get what sinful people should receive. And sinful people get what godly people should receive. Here’s what I’m telling you. That doesn’t have any meaning either.

There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

And this is not all that is meaningless in our world. In this life, good people are often treated as though they were wicked, and wicked people are often treated as though they were good. This is so meaningless!

There is a futility that is done on the earth: there are righteous people who get what the actions of the wicked deserve, and there are wicked people who get what the actions of the righteous deserve. I say that this too is futile.

There is futility which is done on the earth, that is, there are righteous people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked. On the other hand, there are evil people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I say that this too is futility.

There is a vanity which occurs on earth, that there are just men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

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.

There is a futility that is done on the earth: there are righteous people who get what the actions of the wicked deserve, and there are wicked people who get what the actions of the righteous deserve. I say that this too is futile.

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.

Here is another enigma that occurs on earth: Sometimes there are righteous people who get what the wicked deserve, and sometimes there are wicked people who get what the righteous deserve. I said,“ This also is an enigma.”

There is a vanity which is done on the earth, that there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked. Again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

在我虛空的一生中，我見過義人行義，反而滅亡；惡人行惡，卻享長壽。

智者高瞻遠矚，愚人卻在黑暗中摸索。但我知道兩者終必有同樣的命運。

如今我們稱狂傲的人有福，因為作惡的人凡事順利，他們雖然試探上帝，卻仍能逃過災禍。』」

為何惡人活著，得享長壽，勢力強大？

我看見狂傲的惡人亨通就心懷不平。

我仔細思想、探究這些事，就知道義人、智者及他們的行事為人都由上帝掌管，人無法知道前面等待自己的是愛還是恨。義人和惡人、好人和壞人、潔淨的和污穢的、獻祭的和不獻祭的、行善的和犯罪的、敢於起誓的和不敢起誓的人，最終的命運都一樣。在日光之下有一件可悲的事，就是人最終的命運都一樣。再者，人內心都充滿邪惡，活著的時候行事狂妄，最後都步入死亡。

看這些惡人，他們總是生活安逸，財富日增。我潔身自愛，保持清白，實屬徒然。我天天遭災，日日受苦。

有一個人孤孤單單，沒有兒子也沒有兄弟，卻終身勞碌。他雖然家道豐裕，仍不滿足，從未想過「我不停地勞碌，放棄一切享受，究竟是為了誰？」這也是虛空，是一種悲哀。

「惡人的燈何曾熄滅？災難何曾臨到他們？上帝何曾發怒使他們受苦？他們何曾像風中的碎稭，像被暴風捲去的糠秕？你們說上帝會把懲罰留給他們的兒女，我認為不如報應在他們本人身上，讓他們親自領教。願他們親眼看見自己滅亡。願他們喝下全能者的烈怒。因為他們的歲月一旦度盡，又怎會關心身後的家人？「上帝既審判身居高位者，誰還能傳授知識給祂？有人至死仍充滿活力，盡享平靖安逸。他營養充足，骨骼健壯。有人至死心中苦痛，從未嚐過幸福的滋味。二者都埋入塵土，被蛆蟲覆蓋。我知道你們的想法，並那些冤枉我的詭計。你們問，『權貴的房子如今何在？惡人住的帳篷今在何方？』難道你們沒有問過旅客，不接受他們的說法？就是惡人在災難之日得到倖免，在上帝發怒之日得以逃脫。誰會當面斥責他們的惡行，因其所作所為而報應他們？他們被抬入墳墓後，還有人看守墓地。他們在谷中的沃土安息，送葬的人前呼後擁，不計其數。你們的空談怎能安慰我？你們的回答純屬荒謬。」

他們惡待不育的婦人，毫不善待寡婦。但上帝用大能擄走權貴，他們再強大也難保性命。上帝讓他們暫享安逸，但他們逃不過祂的眼睛。他們一時得勢，轉瞬消逝；他們淪為卑賤，像其他人一樣滅亡，像麥穗一樣被割掉。我說的都是實情，誰能否認？誰能證明我的話是空談？」

我發現日光之下有一件可悲的事，似乎是掌權者所犯的錯誤：

耶和華啊，每次我與你爭論，都顯明你是對的。然而，我還是對你的公正有所不解：為什麼惡人總是得勢？為什麼詭詐之人反而生活安逸？

我又看見人的一切勞碌和成就原是出於爭強好勝。這也是虛空，如同捕風。

因為，我認為都是一樣，純全無過的人和惡人都會被祂毀滅。災禍突然奪走人命時，祂嘲笑無辜者的遭遇。大地落入惡人手中，蒙蔽審判官眼睛的不是祂是誰？