¹⁶I saw something else under the sun: instead of justice there was evil; instead of righteousness there was wickedness. ¹⁷So I said to myself,^j “God will surely judge the righteous and the wicked, for he has appointed^k a time of judgment for every deed and every work.”

Read in Logos

Footnotes

jLiterally “in my heart”
kThe MT reads שָׁם “there,” but repointing to שָׂם, “he has appointed,” makes better sense

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

And I saw something else under the sun:

In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,

in the place of justice—wickedness was there.

I said to myself,

“God will bring into judgment

both the righteous and the wicked,

for there will be a time for every activity,

a time to judge every deed.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

I also observed under the sun: there is wickedness at the place of judgment and there is wickedness at the place of righteousness. I said to myself, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every work.”

NLTNew Living Translation

I also noticed that under the sun there is evil in the courtroom. Yes, even the courts of law are corrupt! I said to myself, “In due season God will judge everyone, both good and bad, for all their deeds.”

KJV 1900King James Version

And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there. I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

Public Domain