Ecclesiastes 7:1
Verse 1 of 29. The 7th of 12 chapters in Ecclesiastes, in Poetry and Wisdom.
1A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one’s birth.
2It is 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 should take this to heart.
3Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.
4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools.
World English Bible. Public domain. Set as prose throughout, including the poetry, because the text is published to us without its lines.