In my meaningless life here’s what I’ve seen. I’ve seen godly people dying even though they are godly. And I’ve seen sinful people living a long time even though they are sinful.

有义人行义，反致灭亡；有恶人行恶，倒享长寿。这都是我在虚度之日中所见过的。

在虚度的日子里，我见过各样的事情，义人在他的义中灭亡，恶人在他的恶中倒享长寿。

在虚度的日子里，我见过各样的事情，义人在他的义中灭亡，恶人在他的恶中倒享长寿。

在我虚空的一生中，我见过义人行义，反而灭亡；恶人行恶，却享长寿。

在我虚空的日子里，我见过这两件事：有义人行义反而灭亡，有恶人行恶倒享长寿。

在我虚空的日子里，我看到这一切：有义人在他的公义中死亡，有恶人在他的邪恶中长寿。

有義人行義，反致滅亡；有惡人行惡，倒享長壽。這都是我在虛度之日中所見過的。

在虛度的日子裏，我見過各樣的事情，義人在他的義中滅亡，惡人在他的惡中倒享長壽。

在虛度的日子裏，我見過各樣的事情，義人在他的義中滅亡，惡人在他的惡中倒享長壽。

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。

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。

在我虛幻的日子裏、我都見過以下的事：有義人在行義，反而早死；有惡人在行惡，倒享長壽。

在我虛空的日子裡，我看到這一切：有義人在他的公義中死亡，有惡人在他的邪惡中長壽。

有義人行義而隕沒、有惡人行惡而長久、我於虛空之日、皆見之矣、

我處塵凡、鑒觀事理、見有為義而早夭者、見有作惡而壽終者。

我在虛度之中、已見此諸事、又見善人雖善反夭亡、惡人雖惡反長壽、

In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these: the righteous perishing in their righteousness, and the wicked living long in their wickedness.

In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing.

I have seen everything in this meaningless life, including the death of good young people and the long life of wicked people.

In my futile life I have seen everything: someone righteous perishes in spite of his righteousness, and someone wicked lives long in spite of his evil.

I have seen everything during my lifetime of futility; there is a righteous person who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked person who prolongs his life in his wickedness.

I have seen everything in my days of vanity: There is a just man who perishes in his righteousness, And there is a wicked man who prolongs life in his wickedness.

All this have I seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his evil- doing.

In my futile life I have seen everything: there is a righteous man who perishes in spite of his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in spite of his evil.

All[ things] have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just[ man] that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked[ man] that prolongeth[ his life] in his wickedness.

During the days of my fleeting life I have seen both of these things: Sometimes a righteous person dies prematurely in spite of his righteousness, and sometimes a wicked person lives long in spite of his evil deeds.

All this I have seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing.

An evil person may be guilty of a hundred crimes. Yet they may still live a long time. But I know that things will go better with those who have great respect for God.Sinful people don’t respect God. So things won’t go well with them. Like a shadow, they won’t be around very long.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.

Who knows what’s good for a person? They live for only a few meaningless days. They pass through life like a shadow. Who can tell them what will happen on earth after they are gone?

So I am sending you prophets, wise people, and teachers. You will kill some of them. You will nail some to a cross. Others you will whip in your synagogues. You will chase them from town to town.So you will pay for all the godly people’s blood spilled on earth. I mean from the blood of godly Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berekiah. Zechariah was the one you murdered between the temple and the altar.

As long as they live, their work is nothing but pain and sorrow. Even at night their minds can’t rest. That doesn’t have any meaning either.

I thought about all these things. I realized that those who are wise and do what is right are under God’s control. What they do is also under his control. But no one knows whether they will be loved or hated.Everyone will die someday. Death comes to godly and sinful people alike. It comes to good and bad people alike. It comes to“ clean” and“ unclean” people alike. Those who offer sacrifices and those who don’t offer them also die. A good person dies, and so does a sinner. Those who make promises die. So do those who are afraid to make them.

Lord, when I bring a matter to you, you always do what is right. But now I would like to speak with you about whether you are being fair. Why are sinful people successful? Why do those who can’t be trusted have an easy life?You have planted them. Their roots are deep in the ground. They grow and produce fruit. They honor you by what they say. But their hearts are far away from you.

But the people made evil plans against Zechariah. The king ordered them to kill Zechariah by throwing stones at him. They did it in the courtyard of the Lord’ s temple.King Joash didn’t remember how kind Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had been to him. So he killed Jehoiada’s son. As Zechariah was dying he said,“ May the Lord see this. May he hold you responsible.”

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.

Then two worthless and evil men came and sat across from him. They brought charges against Naboth in front of the people. The two men said,“ Naboth has cursed God and the king.” So they took him outside the city. They killed him by throwing stones at him.

Was there ever a prophet your people didn’t try to hurt? They even killed those who told about the coming of the Blameless One. And now you have handed him over to his enemies. You have murdered him.

“ Babies in Jerusalem will no longer live only a few days. Old people will not fail to live for a very long time. Those who live to the age of 100 will be thought of as mere children when they die. Those who die before they are 100 will be considered as having been under God’s curse.

Jacob said to Pharaoh,“ The years of my journey through life are 130. My years have been few and hard. They aren’t as many as the years of my father and grandfather before me.”

Then the king ordered Doeg,“ You go and strike down the priests.” So Doeg, the Edomite, went and struck them down. That day he killed 85 priests who wore linen aprons.He also killed the people of Nob with his sword. Nob was a town where priests lived. Doeg killed its men and women. He killed its children and babies. He also destroyed its cattle, donkeys and sheep.

You love your wife. So enjoy life with her. Do it all the days of this meaningless life God has given you on earth. That’s what he made you for. That’s what you get for all your hard work on earth.

It all amounts to the same thing. That’s why I say,‘ God destroys honest people and sinful people alike.’Suppose a plague brings sudden death. Then he laughs when those who haven’t sinned lose hope.

I saw that proud and sinful people were doing well. And I began to long for what they had.They don’t have any troubles. Their bodies are healthy and strong.They don’t have the problems most people have. They don’t suffer as other people do.Their pride is like a necklace. They put on meanness as if it were their clothes.Many sins come out of their hard and stubborn hearts. There is no limit to the evil things they can think up.They laugh at others and speak words of hatred. They are proud. They warn others about the harm they can do to them.They brag as if they owned heaven itself. They talk as if they controlled the earth.So people listen to them. They lap up their words like water.They say,“ How would God know what we’re doing? Does the Most High God know anything?”Here is what sinful people are like. They don’t have a care in the world. They keep getting richer and richer.It seems as if I have kept my heart pure for no reason. It didn’t do me any good to wash my hands to show that I wasn’t guilty of doing anything wrong.

People are only shadows as they go here and there. They rush around, but it doesn’t mean anything. They pile up wealth, but they don’t know who will finally get it.

Why do sinful people keep on living? The older they grow, the richer they get.They see their children grow up around them. They watch their family grow larger.Their homes are safe. They don’t have to be afraid. God isn’t punishing them.Every time their bulls mate, their cows become pregnant. And the calves don’t die before they are born.Sinful people send their children out like a flock of lambs. Their little ones dance around.They sing to the music of tambourines and lyres. They have a good time while flutes are being played.Those who are evil spend their years living well. They go down to their graves in peace.But they say to God,‘ Leave us alone! We don’t want to know how you want us to live.Who is the Mighty One? Why should we serve him? What would we get if we prayed to him?’

Here’s something else that is very evil. Everyone is born, and everyone dies. And what do they get for their work? Nothing. It’s like working for the wind.All their lives they eat in darkness. Their lives are full of trouble, suffering and anger.

You will be thrown out of the synagogue. In fact, the time is coming when someone may kill you. And they will think they are doing God a favor.