Ecclesiastes 7:4

4 Those who are wise are found where there is sorrow. But foolish people are found where there is pleasure.

Ecclesiastes 7:4 Meaning and Commentary

Ecclesiastes 7:4

The heart of the wise [is] in the house of mourning
When his body is not; when it does not suit him to go thither in person, his mind is there, and his thoughts are employed on the useful subjects of the frailty and mortality of human nature, of death, a future judgment, and a world to come; which shows him to be a wise man, and concerned for the best things, even for his eternal happiness in another state; but the heart of fools [is] in the house of mirth;
where jovial company is, merry songs are sung, and the cup or glass passes briskly round, and all is gay and brilliant: here the fool desires to be oftener than he is, and when he cannot; which shows the folly of his mind, what a vain taste he has, and how thoughtless he is of a future state, and of his eternal welfare.

Ecclesiastes 7:4 In-Context

2 So it's better to go where people are sobbing than to go where people are having a good time. Everyone will die someday. Those who are still living should really think about that.

3 Sadness is good for the heart. That's why sorrow is better than laughter.

4 Those who are wise are found where there is sorrow. But foolish people are found where there is pleasure.

5 Pay attention to a wise man's warning. That's better than listening to the songs of those who are foolish.

6 A foolish person's laughter is like the crackling of thorns burning under a pot. That doesn't have any meaning either.