Ecclesiastes 7:1-6
Modern English Version
The Value of Wisdom
7 A good name is better than precious ointment,
and the day of death than the day of birth.
2 It is better to go to a house of mourning
than to go to a house of feasting,
for this is the end of all mankind;
and the living will lay it to heart.
3 Grief is better than laughter,
for with a downcast face the heart considers the good.
4 The heart of those who are wise is in the house of mourning,
but the heart of those who are foolish in the house of feasting.
5 It is better to hear the rebuke from a wise man
than a man listen to the song of fools.
6 For like the crackling sound of thorns under a pot,
so is the mocking laughter of fools.
And this is also vanity.
Ecclesiastes 7:1-6
Authorized (King James) Version
7 A good name is better than precious ointment;
and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.
2 It is better to go to the house of mourning,
than to go to the house of feasting:
for that is the end of all men;
and the living will lay it to his heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter:
for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning;
but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise,
than for a man to hear the song of fools.
6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot,
so is the laughter of the fool:
this also is vanity.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK.