Ecclesiastes 7:4

NET Bible® (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.

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • 1 Sam 25:36 : 36 When Abigail went back to Nabal, he was holding a banquet in his house like that of the king. Nabal was having a good time and was very intoxicated. She told him absolutely nothing until morning’s light.
  • 1 Sam 30:16 : 16 So he took David down, and they found them spread out over the land. They were eating and drinking and enjoying themselves because of all the loot they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah.
  • 2 Sam 13:28 : 28 Absalom instructed his servants,“Look! When Amnon is drunk and I say to you,‘Strike Amnon down,’ kill him then and there. Don’t fear! Is it not I who have given you these instructions? Be strong and courageous!”
  • 1 Kgs 20:16 : 16 They marched out at noon, while Ben Hadad and the thirty-two kings allied with him were drinking heavily in their quarters.
  • Neh 2:2-5 : 2 So the king said to me,“Why do you appear to be depressed when you aren’t sick? What can this be other than sadness of heart?” This made me very fearful. 3 I replied to the king,“O king, live forever! Why would I not appear dejected when the city with the graves of my ancestors lies desolate and its gates destroyed by fire?” 4 The king responded,“What is it you are seeking?” Then I quickly prayed to the God of heaven 5 and said to the king,“If the king is so inclined and if your servant has found favor in your sight, dispatch me to Judah, to the city with the graves of my ancestors, so that I can rebuild it.”
  • Isa 21:4 : 4 My heart palpitates, I shake in fear; the twilight I desired has brought me terror.
  • Isa 53:3-4 : 3 He was despised and rejected by people, one who experienced pain and was acquainted with illness; people hid their faces from him; he was despised, and we considered him insignificant. 4 But he lifted up our illnesses, he carried our pain; even though we thought he was being punished, attacked by God, and afflicted for something he had done.
  • Jer 51:39 : 39 When their appetites are all stirred up, I will set out a banquet for them. I will make them drunk so that they will pass out, they will fall asleep forever, they will never wake up,” says the LORD.
  • Jer 51:57 : 57 “I will make her officials and wise men drunk, along with her governors, leaders, and warriors. They will fall asleep forever and never wake up,” says the King whose name is the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.
  • Dan 5:1-4 : 1 Belshazzar Sees Mysterious Handwriting on a Wall King Belshazzar prepared a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in front of them all. 2 While under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar issued an order to bring in the gold and silver vessels– the ones that Nebuchadnezzar his father had confiscated from the temple in Jerusalem– so that the king and his nobles, together with his wives and his concubines, could drink from them. 3 So they brought the gold and silver vessels that had been confiscated from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, together with his wives and concubines, drank from them. 4 As they drank wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
  • Dan 5:30 : 30 And in that very night Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, was killed.
  • Hos 7:5 : 5 At the celebration of their king, his princes become inflamed with wine; they conspire with evildoers.
  • Nah 1:10 : 10 Surely they will be totally consumed like entangled thorn bushes, like the drink of drunkards, like very dry stubble.
  • Matt 8:14-16 : 14 Healings at Peter’s House Now when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying down, sick with a fever. 15 He touched her hand, and the fever left her. Then she got up and began to serve them. 16 When it was evening, many demon-possessed people were brought to him. He drove out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick.
  • Mark 5:38-43 : 38 They came to the house of the synagogue leader where he saw noisy confusion and people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 When he entered he said to them,“Why are you distressed and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep!” 40 And they began making fun of him. But he forced them all outside, and he took the child’s father and mother and his own companions and went into the room where the child was. 41 Then, gently taking the child by the hand, he said to her,“Talitha koum,” which means,“Little girl, I say to you, get up.” 42 The girl got up at once and began to walk around(she was twelve years old). They were completely astonished at this. 43 He strictly ordered that no one should know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.
  • Mark 6:21-29 : 21 But a suitable day came, when Herod gave a banquet on his birthday for his court officials, military commanders, and leaders of Galilee. 22 When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl,“Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.” 23 He swore to her,“Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.” 24 So she went out and said to her mother,“What should I ask for?” Her mother said,“The head of John the baptizer.” 25 Immediately she hurried back to the king and made her request:“I want the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately.” 26 Although it grieved the king deeply, he did not want to reject her request because of his oath and his guests. 27 So the king sent an executioner at once to bring John’s head, and he went and beheaded John in prison. 28 He brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When John’s disciples heard this, they came and took his body and placed it in a tomb.
  • Luke 7:12-13 : 12 As he approached the town gate, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother(who was a widow), and a large crowd from the town was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her,“Do not weep.”
  • John 11:31-35 : 31 Then the people who were with Mary in the house consoling her saw her get up quickly and go out. They followed her, because they thought she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him,“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the people who had come with her weeping, he was intensely moved in spirit and greatly distressed. 34 He asked,“Where have you laid him?” They replied,“Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept.

Similar Verses (AI)

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

  • Eccl 7:5-7
    3 verses
    85%

    5Frivolous Living Versus Wisdom It is better for a person to receive a rebuke from those who are wise than to listen to the song of fools.

    6For like the crackling of quick-burning thorns under a cooking pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This kind of folly also is useless.

    7Human Wisdom Overturned by Adversity Surely oppression can turn a wise person into a fool; likewise, a bribe corrupts the heart.

  • Eccl 7:2-3
    2 verses
    85%

    2It is better to go to a funeral than a feast. For death is the destiny of every person, and the living should take this to heart.

    3Sorrow is better than laughter, because sober reflection is good for the heart.

  • Prov 14:33
    80%

    33Wisdom rests in the heart of the discerning; it is not known in the inner parts of fools.

  • Prov 15:13-15
    3 verses
    79%

    13A joyful heart makes the face cheerful, but by a painful heart the spirit is broken.

    14The discerning mind seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fools feeds on folly.

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

  • Prov 14:13
    78%

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

  • Eccl 10:2
    78%

    2Wisdom Can Be Nullified By the Caprice of Rulers A wise person’s good sense protects him, but a fool’s lack of sense leaves him vulnerable.

  • Prov 14:7-9
    3 verses
    77%

    7Walk abreast with a foolish person, and you do not understand wise counsel.

    8The wisdom of the shrewd person is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deception.

    9Fools mock at reparation, but among the upright there is favor.

  • Prov 15:7
    77%

    7The lips of the wise spread knowledge, but not so the heart of fools.

  • Eccl 7:25
    77%

    25True Righteousness and Wisdom Are Virtually Nonexistent I tried to understand, examine, and comprehend the role of wisdom in the scheme of things, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the insanity of folly.

  • Eccl 2:14-16
    3 verses
    76%

    14The wise man can see where he is going, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also realized that the same fate happens to them both.

    15So I thought to myself,“The fate of the fool will happen even to me! Then what did I gain by becoming so excessively wise?” So I lamented to myself,“The benefits of wisdom are ultimately meaningless!”

    16For the wise man, like the fool, will not be remembered for very long, because in the days to come, both will already have been forgotten. Alas, the wise man dies– just like the fool!

  • Prov 15:21
    76%

    21Folly is a joy to one who lacks sense, but one who has understanding follows an upright course.

  • Eccl 1:17-18
    2 verses
    75%

    17So I decided to discern the benefit of wisdom and knowledge over foolish behavior and ideas; however, I concluded that even this endeavor is like trying to chase the wind!

    18For with great wisdom comes great frustration; whoever increases his knowledge merely increases his heartache.

  • Eccl 7:9
    75%

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

  • Prov 14:24
    75%

    24The crown of the wise is their riches, but the folly of fools is folly.

  • Prov 18:2
    75%

    2A fool takes no pleasure in understanding but only in disclosing what is on his mind.

  • Prov 17:24
    75%

    24Wisdom is directly in front of the discerning person, but the eyes of a fool run to the ends of the earth.

  • Prov 10:8
    75%

    8The wise person accepts instructions, but the one who speaks foolishness will come to ruin.

  • Prov 8:5
    75%

    5You who are naive, discern wisdom! And you fools, understand discernment!

  • Eccl 9:17
    75%

    17Wisdom versus Fools, Sin, and Folly The words of the wise are heard in quiet, more than the shouting of a ruler is heard among fools.

  • Eccl 2:1-3
    3 verses
    74%

    1Futility of Self-Indulgent Pleasure I thought to myself,“Come now, I will try self-indulgent pleasure to see if it is worthwhile.” But I found that it also is futile.

    2I said of partying,“It is folly,” and of self-indulgent pleasure,“It accomplishes nothing!”

    3I thought deeply about the effects of indulging myself with wine(all the while my mind was guiding me with wisdom) and the effects of behaving foolishly, so that I might discover what is profitable for people to do on earth during the few days of their lives.

  • Prov 12:23
    74%

    23The shrewd person conceals knowledge, but foolish people proclaim folly.

  • Prov 19:3
    74%

    3A person’s folly subverts his way, and his heart rages against the LORD.

  • Eccl 6:8
    74%

    8So what advantage does a wise man have over a fool? And what advantage does a pauper gain by knowing how to survive?

  • Prov 18:15
    74%

    15The discerning person acquires knowledge, and the wise person seeks knowledge.

  • Prov 12:15
    74%

    15The way of a fool is right in his own opinion, but the one who listens to advice is wise.

  • Prov 17:22
    74%

    22A cheerful heart brings good healing, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

  • Prov 16:22-23
    2 verses
    74%

    22Insight is like a life-giving fountain to the one who possesses it, but folly leads to the discipline of fools.

    23A wise person’s heart makes his speech wise and it adds persuasiveness to his words.

  • Prov 17:16
    73%

    16What’s the point of a fool having money in hand to buy wisdom, when his head is empty?

  • Prov 11:29
    73%

    29The one who troubles his family will inherit nothing, and the fool will be a servant to the wise person.

  • Prov 10:23
    73%

    23Carrying out a wicked scheme is enjoyable to a fool, and so is wisdom for the one who has discernment.

  • Prov 29:11
    73%

    11A fool lets fly with all his temper, but a wise person keeps it back.

  • Prov 24:7
    73%

    7Wisdom is unattainable for a fool; in court he does not open his mouth.

  • Prov 15:24
    73%

    24The path of life is upward for the wise person, to keep him from going downward to Sheol.

  • Prov 14:16
    73%

    16A wise person is cautious and turns from evil, but a fool throws off restraint and is overconfident.

  • Eccl 4:13
    73%

    13Labor Motivated by Prestige-Seeking A poor but wise youth is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive advice.

  • Prov 13:16
    72%

    16Every shrewd person acts with knowledge, but a fool displays his folly.

  • Prov 1:7
    72%

    7Introduction to the Theme of the Book Fearing the LORD is the beginning of discernment, but fools have despised wisdom and moral instruction.