Ecclesiastes 4:2

A good name is more desirable than great riches, and loving favor is better than silver and gold.

Don’t weep for the dead. Don’t bemoan him; but weep bitterly for him who goes away, for he will return no more, and not see his native country.

Jeremiah lamented for Josiah, and all the singing men and singing women spoke of Josiah in their lamentations to this day; and they made them an ordinance in Israel. Behold, they are written in the lamentations.

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

The righteous perish, and no one lays it to heart. Merciful men are taken away, and no one considers that the righteous is taken away from the evil.

“Son of man, behold, I will take away from you the desire of your eyes with a stroke: yet you shall neither mourn nor weep, neither shall your tears run down.

“Man, who is born of a woman, is of few days, and full of trouble.

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”

Then I looked at all the works that my hands had worked, and at the labor that I had labored to do; and behold, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

So I hated life, because the work that is worked under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

Your oils have a pleasing fragrance. Your name is oil poured out, therefore the virgins love you.

For Yahweh says touching Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, and who went out of this place: “He won’t return there any more.

Those who are killed with the sword are better than those who are killed with hunger; For these pine away, stricken through, for lack of the fruits of the field.

We are courageous, I say, and are willing rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.

I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors; for their works follow with them.”

To Adam he said, “Because you have listened to your wife’s voice, and ate from the tree, about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ the ground is cursed for your sake. You will eat from it with much labor all the days of your life.

Sarah died in Kiriath Arba (also called Hebron), in the land of Canaan. Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.

They said to him, “Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing!

If you treat me this way, please kill me right now, if I have found favor in your sight; and don’t let me see my wretchedness.”

She lay at his feet until the morning, then she rose up before one could discern another. For he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.”

She was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to Yahweh, weeping bitterly.

All Israel will mourn for him and bury him; for he only of Jeroboam will come to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward Yahweh, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam.

But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree. Then he requested for himself that he might die, and said, “It is enough. Now, O Yahweh, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.”

‘Therefore behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see all the evil which I will bring on this place.’ ” ’ ” So they brought this message back to the king.

He hired so that I would be afraid, do so, and sin, and that they might have material for an evil report, that they might reproach me.

There the wicked cease from troubling. There the weary are at rest.

“Oh that you would hide me in Sheol, that you would keep me secret until your wrath is past, that you would appoint me a set time and remember me!

Remember how short my time is, for what vanity you have created all the children of men!

The light of the eyes rejoices the heart. Good news gives health to the bones.

Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart; so does earnest counsel from a man’s friend.

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

For what does a man have of all his labor and of the striving of his heart, in which he labors under the sun?

Moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.

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.

There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was—yet those who come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

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

Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to produce an evil odor; so does a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor.

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.

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher. “All is vanity!”

I will give them in my house and within my walls a memorial and a name better than of sons and of daughters. I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off.

Therefore Yahweh says concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: “They won’t lament for him, saying, ‘Ah my brother!’ or, ‘Ah sister!’ They won’t lament for him, saying ‘Ah lord!’ or, ‘Ah his glory!’

I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah, who went to Babylon,’ says Yahweh; ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’ ”

So the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away; and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; and Yahweh’s hand was strong on me.

Therefore now, Yahweh, take, I beg you, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.”

When the sun arose, God prepared a sultry east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he fainted, and requested for himself that he might die, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”

Why do you show me iniquity, and look at perversity? For destruction and violence are before me. There is strife, and contention rises up.

Nevertheless, don’t rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.

During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him,

Devout men buried Stephen and lamented greatly over him.

For we know that if the earthly house of our tent is dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens.

For by this, the elders obtained testimony.

These all, having had testimony given to them through their faith, didn’t receive the promise,

It is like the precious oil on the head, that ran down on the beard, even Aaron’s beard, that came down on the edge of his robes,

How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much better is your love than wine, the fragrance of your perfumes than all kinds of spices!