Ecclesiastes 7:1-6

The Voice

7 Teacher: A good name is worth more than the finest perfume,
        and the day you die is better than the day you were born.
²     In the same way, it is better to go to a funeral
        than a celebration.
    Why? because death is the end of life’s journey,
        and the living should always take that to heart.
³     Sorrow beats foolish laughter;
        embracing sadness somehow gladdens our hearts.
⁴     A wise heart is well acquainted with grief,
        but a foolish heart seeks only pleasure’s company.
⁵     It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise
        than a song written by fools,
⁶     For the laughter of fools is like
        the hiss and crackle of burning thorns beneath a pot.
    This, too, is fleeting.