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 go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart. ³ Frustration is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart. 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 heed the rebuke of a wise person than to listen to the song of fools. ⁶ Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools. This too is meaningless. ⁷ Extortion turns a wise person into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart. ⁸ The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.