Ecclesiastes 7:1-6; Ecclesiastes 7:11-12; Ecclesiastes 7:19

Ecclesiastes 7:1-6

1 A good name is better than fine perfume. People can learn more from sobbing when someone dies than from being happy when someone is born.

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.

Ecclesiastes 7:11-12

11 Wisdom is a good thing. It's like getting a share of the family wealth. It benefits those who live on this earth.

12 Wisdom provides safety, just as money provides safety. But here's the advantage of wisdom. It guards the lives of those who have it.

Ecclesiastes 7:19

19 Wisdom makes one wise man more powerful than ten rulers in a city.