Ecclesiastes 7:3

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

Sorrow is better than laughter, for when the face is sad, the heart may be improved.

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Other Translations

Referenced Verses

  • 2 Cor 7:9-9 : 9 Now I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance. For you were grieved as God intended, so that you would not suffer any loss from us. 10 For godly sorrow produces repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow produces death. 11 See what earnestness this godly sorrow has produced in you! What eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what readiness to see justice done! At every point you have proved yourselves to be pure in this matter.
  • Heb 12:10-11 : 10 Our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few days as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
  • Rom 5:3-4 : 3 Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance. 4 And endurance produces character, and character produces hope.
  • Jas 4:8-9 : 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
  • 2 Cor 4:17 : 17 For our momentary and light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison.
  • Jas 1:2-4 : 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of various kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance complete its work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.
  • Ps 119:67 : 67 Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep Your word.
  • Ps 119:71 : 71 It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn Your statutes.
  • Ps 126:5-6 : 5 Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. 6 The one who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will surely return with joyful shouting, carrying their sheaves.
  • Jer 31:8-9 : 8 Behold, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth. Among them will be the blind and the lame, the pregnant woman and she who is giving birth—all together. They will return as a great company. 9 They will come with weeping, and with pleas for mercy, I will lead them. I will guide them to streams of water on a straight path where they will not stumble, for I have become a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.
  • Jer 31:15-20 : 15 This is what the LORD says: A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping—Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted because they are no more. 16 This is what the LORD says: Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for your work will be rewarded, declares the LORD. They will return from the land of the enemy. 17 There is hope for your future, declares the LORD, and your children will return to their own land. 18 I have surely heard Ephraim’s lamenting: 'You disciplined me, and I was disciplined, like an untrained calf. Restore me, and I will return, for you are the LORD my God.' 19 After I turned away, I repented; after I came to understand, I struck my thigh in grief. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth. 20 Is Ephraim my dear son, my precious child? For as often as I speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore, my heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, declares the LORD.
  • Jer 50:4-5 : 4 In those days and at that time,' declares the LORD, 'the people of Israel and the people of Judah will come together, weeping as they go, seeking the LORD their God. 5 They will ask the way to Zion and turn their faces toward it. They will come and join themselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that will never be forgotten.
  • Dan 9:3-9 : 3 So I turned my attention to the Lord God, seeking Him in prayer and petitions, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 4 I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: 'O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong; we have acted wickedly, rebelled, and turned away from Your commandments and judgments. 6 We have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our rulers, our ancestors, and to all the people of the land. 7 Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but shame covers our faces today—to the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where You have driven them because of their unfaithfulness to You. 8 O LORD, shame covers us—our kings, our rulers, and our ancestors—because we have sinned against You. 9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against Him. 10 We have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God by following His instructions, which He gave us through His servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has transgressed Your law and turned away, refusing to obey Your voice. So the curse and oath written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us because we have sinned against Him. 12 He has carried out His words that He spoke against us and our rulers who governed us, bringing on us a great disaster. Nothing like it has ever been done under the entire heaven as what has been done in Jerusalem. 13 As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us, yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our sins and gaining insight into Your truth. 14 Therefore, the LORD has kept the disaster in store and brought it upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in everything He does, yet we have not obeyed His voice. 15 Now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and made a name for Yourself that endures to this day, we have sinned and acted wickedly. 16 O Lord, in keeping with all Your righteous acts, let Your anger and wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain. For because of our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors, Jerusalem and Your people have become an object of scorn to all those around us. 17 Now, our God, hear the prayer and petitions of Your servant. For Your sake, Lord, let Your face shine on Your desolate sanctuary. 18 Incline Your ear, my God, and hear. Open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city that bears Your name. For we are not presenting our pleas before You on account of our righteousness, but because of Your great mercy. 19 Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, pay attention and act! Do not delay, for Your own sake, my God, because Your city and Your people bear Your name.
  • Dan 10:2-3 : 2 During those days, I, Daniel, was mourning for three full weeks. 3 I did not eat any rich or desirable food, nor did meat or wine touch my lips. I did not anoint myself at all until the three weeks were over.
  • Dan 10:19 : 19 He said, 'Do not be afraid, you who are highly esteemed. Peace to you; be strong now, be strong.' When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, 'Let my lord speak, for you have given me strength.'
  • Zech 12:10-14 : 10 And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on Me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son. 11 On that day, the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadad-Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 12 The land will mourn, each family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves. 13 The family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself, and their wives by themselves. 14 All the remaining families, each family by itself, and their wives by themselves.
  • Luke 6:21 : 21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
  • Luke 6:25 : 25 Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.
  • John 16:20-22 : 20 Truly, truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 When a woman is in labor, she has sorrow because her time has come. But when she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the suffering because of the joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 So you also have sorrow now. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Eccl 7:1-2
    2 verses
    85%

    1 A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth.

    2 It is better to go to a house of mourning than to a house of feasting, because death is the destination of everyone, and the living should take it to heart.

  • Prov 15:13
    84%

    13 A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, but a heart full of sorrow crushes the spirit.

  • Prov 14:13
    84%

    13 Even in laughter, the heart may ache, and joy may end in grief.

  • Eccl 7:4-10
    7 verses
    84%

    4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.

    5 It is better to hear the rebuke of a wise person than to listen to the song of fools.

    6 For like the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of fools—this too is meaningless.

    7 Surely oppression drives the wise into madness, and a bribe corrupts the heart.

    8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.

    9 Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.

    10 Do not say, 'Why were the old days better than these?' For it is not wise to ask such questions.

  • Prov 17:22
    77%

    22 A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

  • Jas 4:9
    77%

    9 Grieve, mourn and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.

  • Prov 12:25
    76%

    25 Anxiety in a person's heart weighs them down, but a kind word cheers them up.

  • Prov 15:15-16
    2 verses
    75%

    15 All the days of the afflicted are miserable, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast.

    16 Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and turmoil with it.

  • Eccl 3:4
    74%

    4 A time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance.

  • Eccl 7:14
    74%

    14 When times are good, be joyful; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.

  • Eccl 2:1-2
    2 verses
    73%

    1 I said to myself, 'Come now, I will test you with pleasure to see what is good.' But behold, this too was meaningless.

    2 I said of laughter, 'It is madness,' and of joy, 'What does it accomplish?'

  • Eccl 1:17-18
    2 verses
    73%

    17 Then I set my heart to understand wisdom, as well as madness and folly, but I learned that this too is a chasing after the wind.

    18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.

  • Eccl 11:7-10
    4 verses
    73%

    7 Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun.

    8 For if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in all of them, but let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. All that comes is meaningless.

    9 Rejoice, young man, in your youth, and let your heart be glad in the days of your prime. Follow the ways of your heart and the sights of your eyes, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

    10 Remove vexation from your heart and put away distress from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are fleeting.

  • 2 Cor 7:9-10
    2 verses
    72%

    9 Now I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance. For you were grieved as God intended, so that you would not suffer any loss from us.

    10 For godly sorrow produces repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow produces death.

  • Eccl 8:15
    71%

    15 So I praised enjoyment, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat, drink, and be glad. This will accompany them in their toil through the days of life that God has given them under the sun.

  • Eccl 3:12
    71%

    12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to rejoice and to do good while they live.

  • Eccl 4:3
    71%

    3 But better than both is the one who has not yet been born, who has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.

  • Lam 5:15
    71%

    15 The joy of our hearts has ended; our dancing has turned into mourning.

  • Job 3:20
    71%

    20 Why is light given to those in misery, and life to the bitter in soul?

  • Prov 25:20
    70%

    20 Like one who removes a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar poured on soda, is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

  • Eccl 6:9
    70%

    9 Better is what the eyes see than the wandering of desire. This too is meaningless and a chasing after the wind.

  • Prov 15:30
    70%

    30 Light in a messenger’s eyes brings joy to the heart, and good news revitalizes the bones.

  • Eccl 3:22
    70%

    22 So I saw that there is nothing better than for a person to rejoice in their work, for that is their lot. Who can bring them to see what will happen after them?

  • Jer 8:18
    70%

    18 My grief is beyond healing; my heart is faint within me.

  • Prov 3:13
    70%

    13 Blessed is the one who finds wisdom and the one who obtains understanding.

  • Matt 5:4
    69%

    4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

  • Isa 24:7
    69%

    7 The new wine dries up, the vine withers, and all the merry-hearted groan.

  • Eccl 9:3
    69%

    3 This is the distressing thing about everything that happens under the sun: the same fate befalls all. Moreover, the hearts of humans are full of evil, and madness resides in their hearts during their lives; and after that, they join the dead.

  • Eccl 2:23
    69%

    23 All their days are full of sorrow, and their work is filled with grief; even at night their mind does not rest. This too is meaningless.

  • Eccl 9:7
    69%

    7 Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a glad heart, for God has already approved your works.

  • Prov 14:10
    69%

    10 The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger can share its joy.

  • Eccl 5:17
    69%

    17 Behold, what I have seen is good and fitting: to eat and drink and to enjoy the good of all one's labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him, for this is his reward.

  • Eccl 7:25
    69%

    25 I turned my mind to understand, to investigate, and to search out wisdom and the meaning of things, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly.

  • Prov 19:3
    69%

    3 A man’s foolishness twists his way, and his heart rages against the LORD.

  • Job 3:22
    68%

    22 Who rejoice exceedingly and are glad when they find the grave.