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Ecclesiastes 7:1-3
Contemporary English Version
Ecclesiastes 7:1-3
Contemporary English Version
The Best in Life
7 (A) A good reputation
at the time of death
is better than loving care
at the time of birth.[a]
2 It's better to go to a funeral
than to attend a feast;
funerals remind us
that we all must die.
3 Choose sorrow over laughter
because a sad face
may hide a happy heart.
Footnotes
- 7.1 birth: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 1.
Ecclesiastes 7:1-3
New International Version
Ecclesiastes 7:1-3
New International Version
Wisdom
7 A good name is better than fine perfume,(A)
and the day of death better than the day of birth.(B)
2 It is better to go to a house of mourning
than to go to a house of feasting,
for death(C) is the destiny(D) of everyone;
the living should take this to heart.
3 Frustration is better than laughter,(E)
because a sad face is good for the heart.
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.