Ecclesiastes 7:1-14

A good name is better than precious perfume, And the day of one’s death better than the day of one’s birth. It is better to go to the house of mourning Than to go to the house of feasting, For that [day of death] is the end of every man, And the living will take it to heart and solemnly ponder its meaning. Sorrow is better than laughter, For when a face is sad (deep in thought) the heart may be happy [because it is growing in wisdom]. [2 Cor 7:10] The heart of the wise [learns when it] is in the house of mourning, But the heart of fools is [senseless] in the house of pleasure. It is better to listen to the rebuke of the wise man and pursue wisdom Than for one to listen to the song of fools and pursue stupidity. For like the crackling of [burning] thorn bushes under a pot, So is the laughter of the fool; And this too is vanity (futility). For oppression makes a wise man foolish, And a bribe corrupts the [good judgment of the] heart. The end of a matter is better than its beginning; Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit (pride). Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, For anger dwells in the heart of fools. [James 1:19, 20] Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this. Wisdom along with an inheritance is good And an [excellent] advantage for those who see the sun. For wisdom is a protection even as money is a protection, But the [excellent] advantage of knowledge is that wisdom shields and preserves the lives of its possessors. Consider the work of God: Who can make straight what He has bent? In the day of prosperity be joyful, But in the day of adversity consider that God has made the one as well as the other, So that man will not find out anything that will be after him.