4. The lev of chachamim is in the bais evel (house of mourning); but the lev of kesilim is in the bais simchah.
5. It is better to hear the rebuke of the chacham, than for an ish to hear the shir kesilim.
6. For as is the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the kesil; this also is hevel.
7. Surely oppression maketh a chacham mad; and a bribe corrupts the heart.
8. Better is the acharit (end) of a thing than the reshit (beginning) thereof; and erech ruach (patience) is better than gavoah ruach (haughtiness).
9. Be not hasty in thy ruach to be angry; for ka'as (anger) resteth in the kheyk (bosom) of kesilim.
10. Say thou not, What is the cause that the yamim harishonim were better than these? For it is not because of chochmah that thou dost inquire concerning this.
11. Chochmah is better than a nachalah (inheritance); and by it there is an advantage to them that see the shemesh.
12. For chochmah is a protective tzel (shade), and kesef is as well; but the advantage of da'as is, that chochmah giveth chayyim (life) to them that possess it.
13. Consider the ma'aseh HaElohim; for who can make straight what Hashem hath made crooked?
14. In the yom tovah be joyful, but in the yom ra'ah consider: HaElohim also hath set the one over against the other in such a way that adam may not find out anything that will come after him.
15. All things have I seen in the yamim of my hevel; there is a tzaddik that perisheth in his tzedakah, and there is a rasha that prolongeth his life in his ra'ah.
16. Do not be over much the tzaddik nor over much the chacham; why cause thyself desolation?
17. Be not over much resha, neither be thou foolish; why shouldest thou die before thy time?