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Read the Bible

New King James Version

Ecclesiastes 7:4

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

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Afflictions and Adversities;   Amusements and Worldly Pleasures;   Bereavement;   The Topic Concordance - Foolishness;   Heart;   Sorrow;   Wisdom;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Amusements and Pleasures, Worldly;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Wisdom literature;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, the Book of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, Book of;   Laugh;   Poetry;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher;   Fool;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - AḥiḴar;   Joy;   Phinehas B. Ḥama;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for September 2;  

Parallel Translations

English Standard Version
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
Geneva Bible (1587)
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning: but the heart of fooles is in the house of mirth.
Christian Standard Bible®
The heart of the wise is in a house of mourning,but the heart of fools is in a house of pleasure.
Hebrew Names Version
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
Easy-to-Read Version
A wise person thinks about death, but a fool thinks only about having a good time.
Amplified Bible
The heart of the wise [learns when it] is in the house of mourning, But the heart of fools is [senseless] in the house of pleasure.
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.
Contemporary English Version
A sensible person mourns, but fools always laugh.
Complete Jewish Bible
The thoughts of the wise are in the house of mourning, but the thoughts of fools are in the house of pleasure.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
King James Version (1611)
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning: but the heart of fooles is in the house of mirth.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart will be made better.
English Revised Version
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
Berean Standard Bible
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.
Lexham English Bible
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
Literal Translation
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of the stupid one is in the house of mirth.
New Century Version
A wise person thinks about death, but a fool thinks only about having a good time.
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.
New Living Translation
A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time.
New Life Bible
The heart of the wise is in the house of sorrow, while the heart of fools is in the house where there is fun.
New Revised Standard
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The heart of the wise, is in the house of mourning, but, the heart of dullards, in the house of mirth.
Douay-Rheims Bible
(7-5) The heart of the wise is where there is mourning, and the heart of fools where there is mirth.
George Lamsa Translation
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
Good News Translation
Someone who is always thinking about happiness is a fool. A wise person thinks about death.
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.
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.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The heart of the wise is in the mourning house: but the heart of the foolishe is in the house of myrth.
Darby Translation
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools in the house of mirth.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The herte of wise men is where sorewe is; and the herte of foolis is where gladnesse is.
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.
World English Bible
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
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.
Update Bible Version
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
Webster's Bible Translation
The heart of the wise [is] in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools [is] in the house of mirth.
Bible in Basic English
The hearts of the wise are in the house of weeping; but the hearts of the foolish are in the house of joy.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The herte of ye wyse is in the mournynge house, but the hert of the foolish is in the house of myrth.
THE MESSAGE
Sages invest themselves in hurt and grieving. Fools waste their lives in fun and games.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, While the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure.
Legacy Standard Bible
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,While the heart of fools is in the house of gladness.

Contextual Overview

1 A good name is better than precious ointment, And the day of death than the day of one's birth; 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 heart. 3 Sorrow is better than laughter, For by a sad countenance the heart is made 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 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise Than for a man to hear the song of fools. 6 For like the crackling of thorns under a pot, So is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

heart: Nehemiah 2:2-5, Isaiah 53:3, Isaiah 53:4, Matthew 8:14-16, Mark 5:38-43, Luke 7:12, Luke 7:13, John 11:31-35

the heart: 1 Samuel 25:36, 1 Samuel 30:16, 2 Samuel 13:28, 1 Kings 20:16, Isaiah 21:4, Jeremiah 51:39, Jeremiah 51:57, Daniel 5:1-4, Daniel 5:30, Hosea 7:5, Nahum 1:10, Mark 6:21-29

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 1:41 - as they

Cross-References

Genesis 2:5
before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground;
Genesis 6:3
And the Lord said, "My Spirit shall not strive [fn] with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years."
Genesis 6:7
So the LORD said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them."
Genesis 6:13
Hebrews 11:7; 1 Peter 3:20">[xr] And God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
Genesis 6:17
And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die.
Genesis 7:10
And it came to pass after seven days that the waters of the flood were on the earth.
Genesis 7:11
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
Genesis 7:12
And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights.
Genesis 7:17
Now the flood was on the earth forty days. The waters increased and lifted up the ark, and it rose high above the earth.
Genesis 7:21
And all flesh died that moved on the earth: birds and cattle and beasts and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

House of mourning ... house of mirth - These phrases acquire a forcible significance from the Eastern custom of prolonging both festive and mournful celebrations through several days. See Genesis 50:10; Judges 14:17. This verse indicates that a life of enjoyment, does not mean the abandonment of ourselves to pleasures, but the thankful and sober use of the beautiful things which God gives us.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ecclesiastes 7:4. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning — A wise man loves those occasions from which he can derive spiritual advantage; and therefore prefers visiting the sick, and sympathizing with those who have suffered privations by death. But the fool - the gay, thoughtless, and giddy - prefers places and times of diversion and amusement. Here he is prevented from seriously considering either himself or his latter end. The grand fault and misfortune of youth.


 
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