Ecclesiastes 7:2

World English Bible (2000)

It 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.

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Referenced Verses

  • Ps 90:12 : 12 So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
  • Isa 5:11-12 : 11 Woe to those who rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; who stay late into the night, until wine inflames them! 12 The harp, lyre, tambourine, and flute, with wine, are at their feasts; but they don't respect the work of Yahweh, neither have they considered the operation of his hands.
  • Isa 22:12-14 : 12 In that day, the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, called to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to dressing in sackcloth: 13 and behold, joy and gladness, killing cattle and killing sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine: "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die." 14 Yahweh of Armies revealed himself in my ears, "Surely this iniquity will not be forgiven you until you die," says the Lord, Yahweh of Armies.
  • Isa 47:7 : 7 You said, I shall be mistress forever; so that you did not lay these things to your heart, neither did remember the latter end of it.
  • Amos 6:3-6 : 3 Those who put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near; 4 Who lie on beds of ivory, and stretch themselves on their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall; 5 who strum on the strings of a harp; who invent for themselves instruments of music, like David; 6 who drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the best oils; but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
  • Hag 1:5 : 5 Now therefore this is what Yahweh of Armies says: Consider your ways.
  • Mal 2:2 : 2 If you will not listen, and if you will not lay it to heart, to give glory to my name," says Yahweh of Armies, "then will I send the curse on you, and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have cursed them already, because you do not lay it to heart.
  • Matt 5:4 : 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
  • Matt 14:6-9 : 6 But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced among them and pleased Herod. 7 Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatever she should ask. 8 She, being prompted by her mother, said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptizer." 9 The king was grieved, but for the sake of his oaths, and of those who sat at the table with him, he commanded it to be given, 10 and he sent and beheaded John in the prison. 11 His head was brought on a platter, and given to the young lady: and she brought it to her mother. 12 His disciples came, and took the body, and buried it; and they went and told Jesus.
  • Rom 6:21-22 : 21 What fruit then did you have at that time in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now, being made free from sin, and having become servants of God, you have your fruit of sanctification, and the result of eternal life.
  • Phil 3:19 : 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who think about earthly things.
  • Heb 9:27 : 27 Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment,
  • 1 Pet 4:3-4 : 3 For we have spent enough of our past time doing the desire of the Gentiles, and having walked in lewdness, lusts, drunken binges, orgies, carousings, and abominable idolatries. 4 They think it is strange that you don't run with them into the same excess of riot, blaspheming:
  • Gen 48:1-9 : 1 It happened after these things, that someone said to Joseph, "Behold, your father is sick." He took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 Someone told Jacob, and said, "Behold, your son Joseph comes to you," and Israel strengthened himself, and sat on the bed. 3 Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, 4 and said to me, 'Behold, I will make you fruitful, and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your seed after you for an everlasting possession.' 5 Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, will be mine. 6 Your issue, who you become the father of after them, will be yours. They will be called after the name of their brothers in their inheritance. 7 As for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when there was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and I buried her there in the way to Ephrath (the same is Bethlehem)." 8 Israel saw Joseph's sons, and said, "Who are these?" 9 Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons, whom God has given me here." He said, "Please bring them to me, and I will bless them." 10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he couldn't see. He brought them near to him; and he kissed them, and embraced them. 11 Israel said to Joseph, "I didn't think I would see your face, and behold, God has let me see your seed also." 12 Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. 13 Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near to him. 14 Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it on Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn. 15 He blessed Joseph, and said, "The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God who has fed me all my life long to this day, 16 the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads, and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac. Let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth." 17 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him. He held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. 18 Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father; for this is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head." 19 His father refused, and said, "I know, my son, I know. He also will become a people, and he also will be great. However, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his seed will become a multitude of nations." 20 He blessed them that day, saying, "In you will Israel bless, saying, 'God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh'" He set Ephraim before Manasseh. 21 Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you, and bring you again to the land of your fathers. 22 Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow."
  • Gen 49:2-9 : 2 Assemble yourselves, and hear, you sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father. 3 "Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength; excelling in dignity, and excelling in power. 4 Boiling over as water, you shall not excel; because you went up to your father's bed, then defiled it. He went up to my couch. 5 "Simeon and Levi are brothers. Their swords are weapons of violence. 6 My soul, don't come into their council. My glory, don't be united to their assembly; for in their anger they killed men. In their self-will they hamstrung cattle. 7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel. 8 "Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies. Your father's sons will bow down before you. 9 Judah is a lion's cub. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down, he crouched as a lion, as a lioness. Who will rouse him up? 10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. To him will the obedience of the peoples be. 11 Binding his foal to the vine, his donkey's colt to the choice vine; he has washed his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. 12 His eyes will be red with wine, his teeth white with milk. 13 "Zebulun will dwell at the haven of the sea. He will be for a haven of ships. His border will be on Sidon. 14 "Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the saddlebags. 15 He saw a resting place, that it was good, the land, that it was pleasant. He bows his shoulder to the burden, and becomes a servant doing forced labor. 16 "Dan will judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. 17 Dan will be a serpent in the way, an adder in the path, That bites the horse's heels, so that his rider falls backward. 18 I have waited for your salvation, Yahweh. 19 "A troop will press on Gad, but he will press on their heel. 20 "Asher's food will be rich. He will yield royal dainties. 21 "Naphtali is a doe set free, who bears beautiful fawns. 22 "Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a spring. His branches run over the wall. 23 The archers have severely grieved him, shot at him, and persecute him: 24 But his bow remained strong. The arms of his hands were made strong, by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, (from there is the shepherd, the stone of Israel), 25 even by the God of your father, who will help you; by the Almighty, who will bless you, with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb. 26 The blessings of your father have prevailed above the blessings of your ancestors, above the boundaries of the ancient hills. They will be on the head of Joseph, on the crown of the head of him who is separated from his brothers. 27 "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf. In the morning he will devour the prey. At evening he will divide the spoil." 28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them and blessed them. He blessed everyone according to his blessing. 29 He instructed them, and said to them, "I am to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as a burial place. 31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah, his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah, his wife, and there I buried Leah: 32 the field and the cave that is therein, which was purchased from the children of Heth." 33 When Jacob made an end of charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the spirit, and was gathered to his people.
  • Gen 50:15-17 : 15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "It may be that Joseph will hate us, and will fully pay us back for all of the evil which we did to him." 16 They sent a message to Joseph, saying, "Your father commanded before he died, saying, 17 'You shall tell Joseph, "Now please forgive the disobedience of your brothers, and their sin, because they did evil to you."' Now, please forgive the disobedience of the servants of the God of your father." Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
  • Num 23:10 : 10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous! Let my last end be like his!"
  • Deut 32:29 : 29 Oh that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!
  • Deut 32:46 : 46 He said to them, "Set your heart to all the words which I testify to you this day, which you shall command your children to observe to do, [even] all the words of this law.
  • Job 1:4-5 : 4 His sons went and held a feast in the house of each one on his birthday; and they sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. 5 It was so, when the days of their feasting had run their course, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, "It may be that my sons have sinned, and renounced God in their hearts." Job did so continually.

Similar Verses (AI)

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

  • Eccl 7:3-5
    3 verses
    85%

    3 Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.

    4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

    5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.

  • 1 A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one's birth.

  • 76%

    12 There is a way which seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

    13 Even in laughter the heart may be sorrowful, and mirth may end in heaviness.

  • Eccl 9:3-5
    3 verses
    75%

    3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all: yes also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

    4 For to him who is joined with all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

    5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead don't know anything, neither do they have any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

  • Eccl 4:2-3
    2 verses
    75%

    2 Therefore I praised the dead who have been long dead more than the living who are yet alive.

    3 Yes, better than them both is him who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

  • Eccl 7:14-15
    2 verses
    75%

    14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yes, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything after him.

    15 All this have I seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing.

  • 15 Then I commended mirth, because a man has no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be joyful: for that will accompany him in his labor all the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.

  • Eccl 11:8-10
    3 verses
    74%

    8 Yes, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity.

    9 Rejoice, young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

    10 Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

  • 22 Therefore I saw that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion: for who can bring him to see what will be after him?

  • Eccl 6:8-9
    2 verses
    73%

    8 For what advantage has the wise more than the fool? What has the poor man, that knows how to walk before the living?

    9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

  • 8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

  • 16 The man who wanders out of the way of understanding shall rest in the assembly of the dead.

  • 72%

    15 All the days of the afflicted are wretched, but one who has a cheerful heart enjoys a continual feast.

    16 Better is little, with the fear of Yahweh, than great treasure with trouble.

  • 17 Don't be too wicked, neither be foolish. Why should you die before your time?

  • 8 You shall not go into the house of feasting to sit with them, to eat and to drink.

  • 12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and to do good as long as they live.

  • Eccl 3:19-20
    2 verses
    71%

    19 For that which happens to the sons of men happens to animals. Even one thing happens to them. As the one dies, so the other dies. Yes, they have all one breath; and man has no advantage over the animals: for all is vanity.

    20 All go to one place. All are from the dust, and all turn to dust again.

  • 5 For thus says Yahweh, Don't enter into the house of mourning, neither go to lament, neither bemoan them; for I have taken away my peace from this people, says Yahweh, even loving kindness and tender mercies.

  • 16 For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no memory for ever, since in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. Indeed, the wise man must die just like the fool!

  • 6 For there is a time and procedure for every purpose, although the misery of man is heavy on him.

  • 4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

  • Eccl 2:23-24
    2 verses
    71%

    23 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.

    24 There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.

  • Eccl 12:7-8
    2 verses
    71%

    7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

    8 "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher. "All is vanity!"

  • Eccl 6:11-12
    2 verses
    71%

    11 For there are many words that create vanity. What does that profit man?

    12 For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he spends like a shadow? For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?

  • 6 Yes, though he live a thousand years twice told, and yet fails to enjoy good, don't all go to one place?

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

  • 27 Look this, we have searched it, so it is. Hear it, and know it for your good."

  • 13 A glad heart makes a cheerful face; but an aching heart breaks the spirit.

  • 3 If a man fathers a hundred children, and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not filled with good, and moreover he has no burial; I say, that a stillborn child is better than he:

  • 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going.

  • Eccl 2:1-2
    2 verses
    71%

    1 I said in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with mirth: therefore enjoy pleasure;" and behold, this also was vanity.

    2 I said of laughter, "It is foolishness;" and of mirth, "What does it accomplish?"

  • 10 So I saw the wicked buried. Indeed they came also from holiness. They went and were forgotten in the city where they did this. This also is vanity.

  • 10 Don't say, "Why were the former days better than these?" For you do not ask wisely about this.

  • 11 You will groan at your latter end, when your flesh and your body are consumed,