Ecclesiastes 7:5

It is better for a person to receive ¹  a rebuke from those who are wise ²  than to listen to the song ³  of fools.

biblegateway Ecc 7:5

It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools.

biblegateway Ecc 7:5

It is better to listen to the rebuke of a wise man Than for one to listen to the song of fools.

biblegateway Ecc 7:5

It is better to be criticized by a wise person than to be praised by a fool!

biblegateway Ecc 7:5

You'll get more from the rebuke of a sage Than from the song and dance of fools.

SABDAweb Ecc 7:5

It is better to take note of the protest of the wise, than for a man to give ear to the song of the foolish.

bibleoremus Ecc 7:5

It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools.

biblegateway Ecc 7:5

It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise Than for a man to hear the song of fools.

biblegateway Ecc 7:5

It is better for a person to receive ¹  a rebuke from those who are wise ²  than to listen to the song ³  of fools.

¹ tn Heb “hear.”

² tn Heb “rebuke of the wise,” a subjective genitive (“the wise” administer the rebuke).

³ tn Or “praise.” The antithetical parallelism between “rebuke” (גַּעֲרַת, ga’arat) and “song” (שִׁיר, shir) suggests that the latter is figurative (metonymy of association) for praise/flattery which is “music” to the ears: “praise of fools” (NEB, NJPS) and “flattery of fools” (Douay). However, the collocation of “song” (שִׁיר) in 7:5 with “laughter” (שְׂחֹק, sÿkhoq) in 7:6 suggests simply frivolous merrymaking: “song of fools” (KJV, NASB, NIV, ASV, RSV, NRSV).