Ecclesiastes 7:1-7

1A good name is better than expensive perfume, and the day you die is better than the day you’re born.

2It is better to go to a funeral than to a banquet because that is where everyone will end up. Everyone who is alive should take this to heart!

3Sorrow is better than laughter because, in spite of a sad face, the heart can be joyful.

4The minds of wise people think about funerals, but the minds of fools think about banquets.

5It is better to listen to wise people who reprimand you than to fools who sing your praises.

6The laughter of a fool is like the crackling of thorns burning under a pot. Even this is pointless.

7Oppression can turn a wise person into a fool, and a bribe can corrupt the mind.