Ecclesiastes 7:1-7

1A good reputation is better than precious perfume; likewise, the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth.

2It is better to go to a funeral than a feast. For death is the destiny of every person, and the living should take this to heart.

3Sorrow is better than laughter, because sober reflection is good for the heart.

4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of merrymaking.

5It is better for a person to receive a rebuke from those who are wise than to listen to the song of fools.

6For like the crackling of quick-burning thorns under a cooking pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This kind of folly also is useless.

7Surely oppression can turn a wise person into a fool; likewise, a bribe corrupts the heart.