“Even Wisdom Does Not Answer Why Are the Deeds of the Wicked Soon Forgotten 就算智慧都不回答為何惡人所作的很快被遺忘“（Ecclesiastes 傳道書 8:11-13）
When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong. Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know that it will go better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him. Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.
對惡行已判定的刑罰遲遲沒有執行，世人的心就充滿行惡的意圖。罪人既然作惡百次，還享長壽，那麼我知道敬畏神的人，就是在他面前存敬畏的心的，必享福樂。惡人卻沒有福樂，也得不到長壽；他好像影子的短暫，因為他在神面前不存敬畏的心。
Solomon (the Preacher) with his under the sun premise despaired that the wicked dead seem to be not punished after death. If wicked people are often not punished after death, they also are often not punished in this life. Thus their hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong! All these added to the sense of life’s meaninglessness for Solomon. While clinging to his under the sun premise the Preacher wished (knew) ‘it will go better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him …’ would be true but could not have ample confidence that it is since his past observation/experience of the temporal ‘reality’ did not match it.
所羅門（傳道者）帶著他日光之下（無新事）的前題，對已死的惡人死後似乎沒有受刑罰感到喪失信心。如果惡人死後往往沒有受刑罰，他們在生時也往往沒有受刑罰，因此，他們的心就充滿行惡的意圖！對所羅門來說，這一切都加在人生的虛空毫無意義的感覺上。在堅持自己日光之下（無新事）的前題下，他想（認知）「敬畏神的人，就是在祂面前存敬畏的心的，必享福樂 …」會是真的，卻不可以有充分的信心認定它是，因為他過往短暫「現實」的觀察/經驗與之並不一致。
Prayer: Sovereign God of Wisdom, mankind’s godless ingratitude is as deep a mystery as is your loving patience. Behind human schemes to do wrong, there is often a lucky (‘cheating death’) attitude of ‘catching me red-handed if you could.’ It is indeed strange and incredible that, with such constant failure of your love to win over human heart, you still persevere in it. We acknowledge your sovereignty over all creation that there is your appointed time to come clearing all evils. Your redemptive love in action through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, is worthy to be praised. Amen.
