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。

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。

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。

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.

在我虛空的日子裡，我見過這兩件事：有義人行義反而滅亡，有惡人行惡倒享長壽。

智慧人的眼目明亮，愚昧人卻走在黑暗中。我也知道同一的命運要臨到這兩種人身上。

現在我們稱驕傲的人為有福，作惡的人得建立；他們雖然試探神，卻得以逃脫。’”

惡人為甚麼總可以存活，活到老，而且財勢強大？

我看見惡人興隆，我就嫉妒狂傲的人。

我留心這一切事，並加以闡明：就是義人、智慧人和他們所作的，都在神手裡。臨到他們的一切，無論是愛是恨，人都不領悟。眾人的命運都是一樣的：義人與惡人、好人與壞人、潔淨的與不潔淨的、獻祭的與不獻祭的，所遭遇的都是一樣的；好人怎樣，罪人也怎樣；起誓的怎樣，怕起誓的也怎樣。在日光之下所發生的一切事，有一件令人遺憾的，就是眾人的命運都是一樣的，並且世人的心充滿邪惡，一生心懷狂妄，後來都歸到死人那裡去。

看這些惡人，他們常享安逸，財富卻增加。我謹守我心純潔實在徒然；我洗手表明清白也是枉然。因為我終日受傷害，每天早晨受懲罰。

有人孤單無依，沒有兒子，沒有兄弟，仍勞碌不休，眼目也不以自己的財富為足。他問：“我勞勞碌碌，刻薄自己不去享受，是為誰呢？”這也是虛空，是勞苦的擔子。

惡人的燈何嘗熄滅？災難何嘗臨到他們身上？神何嘗在忿怒中把痛苦分給他們！他們何嘗像風前的乾草，何嘗像暴風颳去的糠秕？你們說：‘神為惡人的兒女積蓄罪孽’，我卻說：‘神報應他本人，好叫他自己明白。’願他親眼看見自己敗落，願他喝全能者的烈怒。他的歲月既然斷絕，他還會看顧自己身後的家嗎？神既然審判那些在高位的，誰能把甚麼知識教給他呢？有人到死的時候仍然氣力充足，享盡平靜與安逸；他的奶桶充滿鮮奶，他的骨髓滋潤。有人到死的時候心裡痛苦，一生未嘗美食；他們都一起躺在塵土中，蟲子爬滿他們身上。我知道你們的心思，與你們惡待我的計謀。你們問：‘霸王的房屋在哪裡？惡人住過的帳棚在哪裡？’你們沒有問問過路的人嗎？不承認他們所提的證據嗎？就是惡人在災難的日子得存留，在神發怒的時候得逃脫。他所行的，有誰敢當面指責他呢？他所作的，有誰能報應他呢？然而他被人抬到墳墓裡，並且有人看守他的墓地。他以谷中的土塊為甘甜，所有的人跟在他後面，走在他前面的不計其數。你們的回話既然只存虛假，怎樣徒然安慰我呢？”

他惡待不能生育，沒有孩子的婦人，也不善待寡婦。神卻用自己的能力延長強暴的人的性命，生命難保的仍然興起。神使他們安穩，他們就有所倚靠，他的眼也看顧他們的道路。他們被高舉不過片時，就沒有了，他們降為卑，如眾人一樣被收拾起來，他們又如穀穗枯乾。如果不是這樣，誰能證明我是撒謊的，指出我的言語為空虛的呢？”

在日光之下我看見一件憾事，好像是出於官長無意的錯誤，

耶和華啊！我跟你爭辯的時候，總是你有理；然而我還要跟你討論有關公正的問題。惡人的道路為甚麼亨通？所有行詭詐的為甚麼都得享安逸？

我看見各樣的勞碌和各樣精巧的工作，都是出於人與人彼此的競爭。這也是虛空，也是捕風。

所以我說，善惡都是一樣，完全人和惡人，他都滅盡。災禍忽然把人殺害的時候，他就必嘲笑無辜人的遭遇。全世界交在惡人的手中，他蒙蔽世上審判官的臉，如果不是他，那麼是誰呢？