2 It is better to go to a house of mourningthan to go to a house of feasting,since that is the end of all mankind,and the living should take it to heart.
3 Grief is better than laughter,for when a face is sad, a heart may be glad.
4 The heart of the wise is in a house of mourning,but the heart of fools is in a house of pleasure.
5 It is better to listen to rebuke from a wise personthan to listen to the song of fools,
6 for like the crackling of burning thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool.This too is futile.
7 Surely, the practice of extortion turns a wise person into a fool, and a bribe destroys the mind.
8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning;a patient spirit is better than a proud spirit.