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Atomic Bible
Ecclesiastes 7:1
A good name is better than fine perfume,
from The Value of Wisdom, Ecclesiastes 7:1-14
What it says

A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth.

What it is doing

This verse opens with a paradox that values enduring character over surface sweetness.

In context

1A good name is better than fine perfume, 2It is better to enter a house of mourning 3Sorrow is better than laughter, 4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, 5It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke 6For like the crackling of thorns under the pot, 7Surely extortion turns a wise man into a fool, 8The end of a matter is better than the beginning, 9Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, 10Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” 11Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good, 12For wisdom, like money, is a shelter, 13Consider the work of God: 14In the day of prosperity, be joyful,