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。

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。

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。

智慧人的眼在頭上看；愚頑人在黑暗裏走；我卻深知這兩種人都必遇見同一樣的遭遇。

如今我們呢、竟稱傲慢人為有福了！而行惡的人居然得建立了！他們雖試探上帝，卻還得逃脫、免受災難呢！」』

惡人為甚麼活着，享大壽數，勢力強盛呢？

因為我見惡人平安興旺，我對狂傲之人就生了嫉妒。

我將這一切事放在心上，我的心就看明了這一切：就是義人和智慧人、以及他們所作的、都在上帝手中：或是愛，或是恨，人都不能知；在他們面前一切都是虛空。眾人都有一樣的遭遇：義人和惡人、好人和壞人、潔淨人和不潔淨的人、獻祭的和沒獻祭的、都一樣：好人怎樣，好犯罪的人也怎樣；起誓的怎麼，怕起誓的也怎樣。在日光之下所發生的一切事上、有一件最大的禍患：就是一切人所遭遇的都是一樣；並且人類的心都充滿着壞事；他們一生心裏都是狂妄，其後呢——都到死人那裏去！

看哪，這就是惡人；總享受優游興盛，資財增加。唉，我保持我心純潔、實在無用。我洗手表明無辜，也是徒然。因為我終日不斷地受災害，我每日早晨都被懲罰。

有人孤單無二：沒有兒子也沒有弟兄，他的一切勞碌永無了結，他的眼目也從未以財富為足，以致他從未自問：我勞勞碌碌、薄於自奉，而不享樂，到底為的是誰？這也是虛空，是極喫力的勞苦。

『惡人的燈何嘗熄滅呢？災難何嘗臨到他們？上帝何嘗氣忿忿把痛苦分給他們呢？他們何嘗像風前的禾藁？像暴風颳去的糠粃呢？你們說：「上帝為惡人的兒女積藏着罪罰。」我說：不如報應他本人，讓他親自知道好。願他親眼看到自己的敗亡；願他親自吸飲全能者的烈怒。他歲月的數目既被截斷，他對他本家哪裏還有興趣顧到呢？上帝既審判那在高位的，誰能將知識教給他呢？有人至死十分健壯，享盡康寧安逸；他的奶桶滿滿，他的骨髓滋潤。有人至死心裏愁苦，未曾嘗過福樂。但人人都一樣長臥於塵土中，有蛆蟲覆蓋着他們。『啊，我知道你們的意思、和你們橫逆待我的計謀。你們說：「霸者的房屋在哪裏？惡人住過的帳棚在哪裏？」你們沒有詢問過路人麼？他們所引的證據、你們不認得麼？就是壞人當災難的日子得存留，當上帝震怒的時日得送終。對他所行的路、有誰當面說他？他所作的、有誰使他得報應呢？然而他卻得送終到墳墓，他的陵墓並且有人儆醒守着。他以谿谷中的泥塊為甘甜；眾人都跟着他前進而送他；在他以先去的更是無數。你們答覆的話無非是不忠實，怎麼還託空言來安慰我呢？』

『他蠶食不能懷孕沒有生養之婦人的財產，又不善待寡婦。然而上帝卻用能力延長強暴人的性命；自信不能活着的人居然得以起來。上帝使他安心無慮，他就有所依靠；上帝的眼目也看顧他們所行的路。但是他們被高舉不過片時，就沒有了；他們被降低，被收拾，跟眾人一樣；又如穗頭被割下。若不然，誰能證我為撒謊，指我所說的為無物呢？』

我見日光之下有一件禍患、似乎是出於執政者不知不覺的錯誤：

永恆主啊，我和你辯訴時，你都是對的；但有一個案件、我還要跟你理論。惡人的路為甚麼順利亨通？大行詭詐的為甚麼安享興隆呢？

我又看一切勞碌和各樣工作上的技巧都是人對鄰舍羨慕之表現：這也是虛空，也是捕風。

反正都一樣；故此我說：無論純全邪惡、他都滅盡。若有災禍突然使人死亡，他是調弄無辜人之絕望。地上交於惡人手中；地上審判官的臉、是他蒙蔽着；若不是他，那麼是誰呢？