18. And carry out his mourning, according to his merit, for one or two days because of this loss.
19. Yet sadness hastens death and overwhelms strength, and the sorrow of the heart bows down the neck.
20. When one is taken away, sorrow remains. But the resources of a destitute man is found in his heart.
21. You should not give your heart over to sadness, but push it away from you. And remember the very end.
22. Do not be willing to forget this; for there is no turning back. Otherwise, it will not benefit you, and you will cause great harm to yourself.
23. Call to mind my judgment. For so shall it be for you also. Yesterday is mine, and today is yours.
24. When the deceased is at rest, let his memory rest also. And console him at the departure of his spirit.
25. The wisdom of a scribe is found in his time of leisure. So whoever has less to do will gain wisdom.
26. With what wisdom will someone be filled who holds the plow, and who boasts of the cattle prod that drives the oxen forward, and who is occupied in these labors, and whose only conversation is about the offspring of bulls?
27. He will give his mind over to the plowing of furrows, and his vigilance to the fattening of the cows.
28. Similarly, every craftsman and artisan, who crafts in the night as well as in the day, who sculpts graven seals, and who, by his diligence, varies the image, will give his mind over to the likeness of the image. And he will complete the work by his vigilance.
29. The blacksmith, sitting by his anvil and considering a work of iron, is similar. The steam from the fire singes his flesh, and he struggles against the heat of the furnace.
30. The voice of the hammer is ever in his ears, and his eye is upon the pattern of the ironwork.
31. He gives his heart to the completion of his work, and his vigilance adorns it to perfection.
32. The potter, sitting at his work and turning the wheel with his feet, is similar. He has settled into a continual concern for his work, and there is a rhythm in all that he does.
33. He forms the clay with his arm, and he bends his strength over his feet.