Ecclesiastes 7:4

2 Better to go to the house of mourning
Than to go to the house of feasting,
For that is the end of all men;
And the living will take it to ^aheart.

3 ¹Sorrow is better than laughter,
^aFor by a sad countenance the heart is made¹ better.

4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
But the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

5 ^aIt is better to¹ hear the rebuke of the wise
Than for a man to hear the song of fools.

6 ^aFor like the¹ crackling of thorns under a pot,
So is the laughter of the fool.
This also is vanity.

7 Surely oppression destroys a wise man’s reason,
^aAnd a bribe¹ debases the heart.

8 The end of a thing is better than its beginning;
^aThe patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

Verse Comparison: Ecclesiastes 7:4

American Standard Version
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

Amplified® Bible
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth {and} sensual joy.

Contemporary English Version
A sensible person mourns, but fools always laugh.

Darby English Version
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools in the house of mirth.

Good News Bible
Someone who is always thinking about happiness is a fool. A wise person thinks about death.

King James Version
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

New American Standard Bible
The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, While the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure.

New International Version
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.

New King James Version
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
But the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

N.A.S.B. in E-Prime
The mind of the wise dwells in the house of mourning, While the mind of fools dwells in the house of pleasure.

Revised Standard Version
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

Young's Literal Translation
The heart of the wise `is' in a house of mourning, And the heart of fools in a house of mirth.

New English Translation
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of merrymaking.¹