Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, July 22nd, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Wycliffe Bible

Ecclesiastes 7:4

The herte of wise men is where sorewe is; and the herte of foolis is where gladnesse is.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Afflictions and Adversities;   Amusements and Worldly Pleasures;   Bereavement;   The Topic Concordance - Foolishness;   Heart;   Sorrow;   Wisdom;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Amusements and Pleasures, Worldly;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Wisdom literature;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, the Book of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, Book of;   Laugh;   Poetry;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher;   Fool;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - AḥiḴar;   Joy;   Phinehas B. Ḥama;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for September 2;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The heart of the wise is in a house of mourning,but the heart of fools is in a house of pleasure.
Hebrew Names Version
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
King James Version
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
English Standard Version
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
New American Standard Bible
The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, While the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure.
New Century Version
A wise person thinks about death, but a fool thinks only about having a good time.
Amplified Bible
The heart of the wise [learns when it] is in the house of mourning, But the heart of fools is [senseless] in the house of pleasure.
World English Bible
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
Geneva Bible (1587)
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning: but the heart of fooles is in the house of mirth.
Legacy Standard Bible
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,While the heart of fools is in the house of gladness.
Berean Standard Bible
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.
Contemporary English Version
A sensible person mourns, but fools always laugh.
Complete Jewish Bible
The thoughts of the wise are in the house of mourning, but the thoughts of fools are in the house of pleasure.
Darby Translation
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools in the house of mirth.
Easy-to-Read Version
A wise person thinks about death, but a fool thinks only about having a good time.
George Lamsa Translation
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
Good News Translation
Someone who is always thinking about happiness is a fool. A wise person thinks about death.
Lexham English Bible
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
Literal Translation
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of the stupid one is in the house of mirth.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The herte of ye wyse is in the mournynge house, but the hert of the foolish is in the house of myrth.
American Standard Version
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
Bible in Basic English
The hearts of the wise are in the house of weeping; but the hearts of the foolish are in the house of joy.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
King James Version (1611)
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning: but the heart of fooles is in the house of mirth.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The heart of the wise is in the mourning house: but the heart of the foolishe is in the house of myrth.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart will be made better.
English Revised Version
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
Update Bible Version
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
Webster's Bible Translation
The heart of the wise [is] in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools [is] in the house of mirth.
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.
New King James Version
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, But the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
New Living Translation
A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time.
New Life Bible
The heart of the wise is in the house of sorrow, while the heart of fools is in the house where there is fun.
New Revised Standard
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The heart of the wise, is in the house of mourning, but, the heart of dullards, in the house of mirth.
Douay-Rheims Bible
(7-5) The heart of the wise is where there is mourning, and the heart of fools where there is mirth.
Revised Standard Version
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
Young's Literal Translation
The heart of the wise [is] in a house of mourning, And the heart of fools in a house of mirth.
THE MESSAGE
Sages invest themselves in hurt and grieving. Fools waste their lives in fun and games.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, While the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure.

Contextual Overview

1 A good name is betere than preciouse oynementis; and the dai of deth is betere than the dai of birthe. 2 It is betere to go to the hous of morenyng, than to the hous of a feeste; for in that hous `of morenyng the ende of alle men is monestid, and a man lyuynge thenkith, what is to comynge. 3 Yre is betere than leiyyng; for the soule of a trespassour is amendid bi the heuynesse of cheer. 4 The herte of wise men is where sorewe is; and the herte of foolis is where gladnesse is. 5 It is betere to be repreued of a wijs man, than to be disseyued bi the flateryng of foolis; 6 for as the sown of thornes brennynge vndur a pot, so is the leiyyng of a fool. But also this is vanyte.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

heart: Nehemiah 2:2-5, Isaiah 53:3, Isaiah 53:4, Matthew 8:14-16, Mark 5:38-43, Luke 7:12, Luke 7:13, John 11:31-35

the heart: 1 Samuel 25:36, 1 Samuel 30:16, 2 Samuel 13:28, 1 Kings 20:16, Isaiah 21:4, Jeremiah 51:39, Jeremiah 51:57, Daniel 5:1-4, Daniel 5:30, Hosea 7:5, Nahum 1:10, Mark 6:21-29

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 1:41 - as they

Cross-References

Genesis 2:5
and ech litil tre of erthe bifore that it sprong out in erthe; and he made ech erbe of the feeld bifore that it buriownede. For the Lord God had not reyned on erthe, and no man was that wrouyte erthe;
Genesis 6:3
And God seide, My spirit schal not dwelle in man with outen ende, for he is fleisch; and the daies of hym schulen be an hundrid and twenti yeer.
Genesis 6:7
and seide, Y schal do awei man, whom Y made of nouyt, fro the face of the erthe, fro man til to lyuynge thingis, fro crepynge beeste til to the briddis of heuene; for it repentith me that Y made hem.
Genesis 6:13
he seide to Noe, The ende of al fleisch is comen bifore me; the erthe is fillid with wickidnesse of the face of hem, and Y schal distrye hem with the erthe.
Genesis 6:17
Lo! Y schal brynge `watris of diluuye ether greet flood on erthe, and Y schal sle ech fleisch in which is the spirit of lijf vndir heuene, and alle thingis that ben in erthe, schulen be wastid.
Genesis 7:10
And whanne seuene daies hadden passid, the watris of the greet flood flowiden on erthe.
Genesis 7:11
In the sixe hundrid yeer of the lijf of Noe, in the secunde moneth, in the seuententhe dai of the moneth, alle the wellis of the greet see weren brokun, and the wyndowis of heuene weren opened,
Genesis 7:12
and reyn was maad on erthe fourti daies and fourti nyytis.
Genesis 7:17
And the greet flood was maad fourti daies and fourti niytis on erthe, and the watris weren multiplied, and reiseden the schip on hiy fro erthe.
Genesis 7:21
And ech fleisch was wastid that was moued on erthe, of briddis, of lyuynge beestis, of vnresonable beestis, and of alle `reptilis that crepen on erthe.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The heart of the wise [is] in the house of mourning,.... When his body is not; when it does not suit him to go thither in person, his mind is there, and his thoughts are employed on the useful subjects of the frailty and mortality of human nature, of death, a future judgment, and a world to come; which shows him to be a wise man, and concerned for the best things, even for his eternal happiness in another state;

but the heart of fools [is] in the house of mirth; where jovial company is, merry songs are sung, and the cup or glass passes briskly round, and all is gay and brilliant: here the fool desires to be oftener than he is, and when he cannot; which shows the folly of his mind, what a vain taste he has, and how thoughtless he is of a future state, and of his eternal welfare.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

House of mourning ... house of mirth - These phrases acquire a forcible significance from the Eastern custom of prolonging both festive and mournful celebrations through several days. See Genesis 50:10; Judges 14:17. This verse indicates that a life of enjoyment, does not mean the abandonment of ourselves to pleasures, but the thankful and sober use of the beautiful things which God gives us.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ecclesiastes 7:4. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning — A wise man loves those occasions from which he can derive spiritual advantage; and therefore prefers visiting the sick, and sympathizing with those who have suffered privations by death. But the fool - the gay, thoughtless, and giddy - prefers places and times of diversion and amusement. Here he is prevented from seriously considering either himself or his latter end. The grand fault and misfortune of youth.


 
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