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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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).