Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart. New Living Translation Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties. After all, everyone dies— so the living should take this to heart. English Standard Version It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Berean Standard Bible It is better to enter a house of mourning than a house of feasting, since death is the end of every man, and the living should take this to heart. King James Bible 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 will lay it to his heart. New King James Version 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 will take it to heart. New American Standard Bible It is better to go to a house of mourning Than to go to a house of feasting, Because that is the end of every person, And the living takes it to heart. NASB 1995 It is better to go to a house of mourning Than to go to a house of feasting, Because that is the end of every man, And the living takes it to heart. NASB 1977 It is better to go to a house of mourning Than to go to a house of feasting, Because that is the end of every man, And the living takes it to heart. Legacy Standard Bible Better to go to a house of mourning Than to go to a house of feasting Because that is the end of all mankind, And the living puts this in his heart. Amplified Bible It is better to go to the house of mourning Than to go to the house of feasting, For that [day of death] is the end of every man, And the living will take it to heart and solemnly ponder its meaning. Christian Standard Bible It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, since that is the end of all mankind, and the living should take it to heart. Holman Christian Standard Bible It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, since that is the end of all mankind, and the living should take it to heart. American Standard Version 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 will lay it to his heart. Aramaic Bible in Plain English Better to go to the house of weeping than to go to the banquet house, because this is the end of all the children of men, and The Living One gives good to his heart Brenton Septuagint Translation It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the banquet house: since this is the end of every man; and the living man will apply good warning to his heart. Contemporary English Version It's better to go to a funeral than to attend a feast; funerals remind us that we all must die. Douay-Rheims Bible It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to the house of feasting: for in that we are put in mind of the end of all, and the living thinketh what is to come. English Revised Version 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 will lay it to his heart. GOD'S WORD® Translation It is better to go to a funeral than to a banquet because that is where everyone will end up. Everyone who is alive should take this to heart! Good News Translation It is better to go to a home where there is mourning than to one where there is a party, because the living should always remind themselves that death is waiting for us all. International Standard Version It's better to attend a funeral than to attend a banquet, for everyone dies eventually, and the living will take this to heart. JPS Tanakh 1917 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 will lay it to his heart. Literal Standard Version Better to go to a house of mourning, | Than to go to a house of banqueting, | For that is the end of all men, | And the living lays [it] to his heart. Majority Standard Bible It is better to enter a house of mourning than a house of feasting, since death is the end of every man, and the living should take this to heart. New American Bible It is better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting, For that is the end of every mortal, and the living should take it to heart. NET Bible It 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. New Revised Standard Version It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting; for this is the end of everyone, and the living will lay it to heart. New Heart English Bible 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. Webster's Bible Translation 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 will lay it to his heart. World English Bible 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. Young's Literal Translation Better to go unto a house of mourning, Than to go unto a house of banqueting, For that is the end of all men, And the living layeth it unto his heart. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context The Value of Wisdom1A good name is better than fine perfume, and one’s day of death is better than his day of birth. 2It is better to enter a house of mourning than a house of feasting, since death is the end of every man, and the living should take this to heart. 3Sorrow is better than laughter, for a sad countenance is good for the heart.… Cross References Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may present a heart of wisdom. Ecclesiastes 2:14 The wise man has eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also came to realize that one fate overcomes them both. Ecclesiastes 2:16 For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, just as with the fool, seeing that both will be forgotten in the days to come. Alas, the wise man will die just like the fool! Ecclesiastes 3:19 For the fates of both men and beasts are the same: As one dies, so dies the other--they all have the same breath. Man has no advantage over the animals, since everything is futile. Ecclesiastes 3:20 All go to one place; all come from dust, and all return to dust. Ecclesiastes 6:6 even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place? Ecclesiastes 9:2 It is the same for all: There is a common fate for the righteous and the wicked, for the good and the bad, for the clean and the unclean, for the one who sacrifices and the one who does not. As it is for the good, so it is for the sinner; as it is for the one who makes a vow, so it is for the one who refuses to take a vow. Treasury of Scripture 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 will lay it to his heart. better Genesis 48:1 And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. Genesis 49:2 Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father. Genesis 50:15-17 And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him… that Numbers 23:10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his! Deuteronomy 32:29 O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end! Romans 6:21,22 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death… living Deuteronomy 32:46 And he said unto them, Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law. Isaiah 47:7 And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end of it. Haggai 1:5 Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Jump to Previous Banqueting Better Death Destiny End Feasting Heart Hearts House Lay Mourning WeepingJump to Next Banqueting Better Death Destiny End Feasting Heart Hearts House Lay Mourning WeepingEcclesiastes 7 1. remedies against vanity are, a good name2. mortification 7. patience 11. wisdom 23. The difficulty of wisdom (2) Comparing this verse with Ecclesiastes 2:24, it is plain that the Preacher does not in the latter place recommend reckless enjoyment, but enjoyment tempered by the fear of God, and looking to the end.Verse 2. - It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting. The thought in the last verse leads to the recollection of the circumstances which accompany the two events therein mentioned - birth and death, feasting and joy, in the first case; sorrow and mourning in the second. In recommending the sober, earnest life, Koheleth teaches that wiser, more enduring lessons are to be learned where grief reigns than in the empty and momentary excitement of mirth and joyousness. The house in question is mourning for a death; and what a long and harrowing business this was is well known (see Deuteronomy 24:8; Ecclus. 22:10; Jeremiah 22:18; Matthew 9:23, etc.). Visits of condolence and periodical pilgrimages to groves of departed relatives were considered duties (John 11:19, 31), and conduced to the growth in the mind of sympathy, seriousness, and the need of preparation for death. The opposite side, the house of carousal, where all that is serious is put away, leading to such scenes as Isaiah denounces (Isaiah 5:11), offers no wise teaching, and produces only selfishness, heartlessness, thoughtlessness. What is said here is no contradiction to what was said in Ecclesiastes 2:24, that there was nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink and enjoy himself. For Koheleth was not speaking of unrestrained sensualism - the surrender of the mind to the pleasures of the body - but of the moderate enjoyment of the good things of life conditioned by the fear of God and love of one's neighbor. This statement is quite compatible with the view that sees a higher purpose and training in the sympathy with sorrow than in participation in reckless frivolity. For that is the end of all men viz. that they will some day be mourned, that their house will be turned into a house of mourning. Vulgate, In illa (dome) enim finis cunctorum admonetur hominum, which is not the sense of the Hebrew. The living will lay it to his heart. He who has witnessed this scene will consider it seriously (Ecclesiastes 9:1), and draw from it profitable conclusions concerning the brevity of life and the proper use to make thereof. We recall the words of Christ, "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted;" and "Woe unto you that laugh now for ye shall mourn and weep" (Matthew 5:4; Luke 6:25). Schultens gives an Arab proverb which says, "Hearest thou lamentation for the dead, hasten to the spot; art thou called to a banquet, cross not the threshold." The Septuagint thus translates the last clause, Καὶ ὁ ζῶν δώσει ἀγαθὸν εἰς καρδίαν αὐτοῦ "The living will put good into his heart;" the Vulgate paraphrases fairly, Et vivens cogitat quid futurum sit," The living thinks what is to come." "So teach us to number our days," prays the psalmist, "that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom" (Psalm 90:12). Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew It is betterט֞וֹב (ṭō·wḇ) Adjective - masculine singular Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good to enter לָלֶ֣כֶת (lā·le·ḵeṯ) Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk a house בֵּֽית־ (bêṯ-) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 1004: A house of mourning אֵ֗בֶל (’ê·ḇel) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 60: Lamentation than מִלֶּ֙כֶת֙ (mil·le·ḵeṯ) Preposition-m | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk a house בֵּ֣ית (bêṯ) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 1004: A house of feasting, מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה (miš·teh) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 4960: Drink, drinking, a banquet, feast since בַּאֲשֶׁ֕ר (ba·’ă·šer) Preposition-b | Pronoun - relative Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that [death] ה֖וּא (hū) Pronoun - third person masculine singular Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are [is] the end ס֣וֹף (sō·wp̄) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 5490: A termination of every כָּל־ (kāl-) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every man, הָאָדָ֑ם (hā·’ā·ḏām) Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 120: Ruddy, a human being and the living וְהַחַ֖י (wə·ha·ḥay) Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 2416: Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life should take [this] יִתֵּ֥ן (yit·tên) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 5414: To give, put, set to אֶל־ (’el-) Preposition Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to heart. לִבּֽוֹ׃ (lib·bōw) Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre Links Ecclesiastes 7:2 NIVEcclesiastes 7:2 NLT Ecclesiastes 7:2 ESV Ecclesiastes 7:2 NASB Ecclesiastes 7:2 KJV Ecclesiastes 7:2 BibleApps.com Ecclesiastes 7:2 Biblia Paralela Ecclesiastes 7:2 Chinese Bible Ecclesiastes 7:2 French Bible Ecclesiastes 7:2 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 7:2 It is better to go to (Ecclesiast. 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