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7:1  Teacher: A good name is worth more than the finest perfume, and the day you die is better than the day you were born.
7:2  In the same way, it is better to go to a funeral than a celebration. Why? because death is the end of life’s journey, and the living should always take that to heart.
7:3  Sorrow beats foolish laughter; embracing sadness somehow gladdens our hearts.
7:4  A wise heart is well acquainted with grief, but a foolish heart seeks only pleasure’s company.
7:5  It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than a song written by fools,
7:6  For the laughter of fools is like the hiss and crackle of burning thorns beneath a pot. This, too, is fleeting.
7:7  Oppression can turn the wise into fools, and a bribe can damage the noblest heart.
7:8  Having the last word is better than having the first, and patience will benefit you more than pride.
7:9  Do not be quick to anger, for anger sits comfortably in the lap of fools.
7:10  Do not ask, “Where have all the good times gone?” Wisdom knows better than to ask such a thing.
7:11  It is good to have wisdom along with an inheritance; they give a clear advantage to those who see the sun.
7:12  For together wisdom and money are alike in this: both offer protection from life’s misfortunes, But the real advantage of knowledge is this: wisdom alone preserves the lives of those who have it.
7:13  Think for a moment about the work of God. Can anyone make straight what God has made crooked?
7:14  Teacher: When times are good, enjoy them and be happy. When times are bad, think about this: God makes both good and bad times, so that no one really knows what is coming next.
7:15  In the fleeting time I have lived on this earth, I have seen just about everything: the good dying in their goodness and the wicked living to a ripe old age.
7:16  So my advice? Do not act overly righteous, and do not think yourself wiser than others. Why go and ruin yourself?
7:17  But do not be too wicked or foolish either. Why die before it’s your time?
7:18  Grasp both sides of things and keep the two in balance; for anyone who fears God won’t give in to the extremes.
7:19  Wisdom is more powerful to a wise person than 10 rulers in a city.
7:20  There is not a righteous person on earth who always does good and never sins.
7:21  Don’t take to heart all that people say; eventually you may hear your servant curse you.
7:22  And face it, your heart has overheard how often you’ve cursed others.
7:23  I have tested all of these sayings against wisdom. I promised myself, “I will become wise,” but wisdom kept its distance.
7:24  True wisdom remains elusive; its profound mysteries are remote. Who can discover it?
7:25  So I turned and dedicated my heart to knowing more, to digging deeper, to searching harder for wisdom and the reasons things are as they are. I applied myself to understanding the connection between wickedness and folly, between folly and madness.
7:26  Along this journey, I discovered something more bitter than death—a seductive woman. Her heart is a trap and net. Her hands shackle your wrists. Those who seek to please God will escape her clutches, but sinners will be caught in her trap.
7:27  Look at this! After investigating the matter thoroughly to find out why things are as they are,
7:28  I realize that although I kept on searching, I have not found what I am looking for. Only one man in a thousand have I found, but I could not find a single woman among all of these who knows this.
7:29  Here is what I have figured out: God made humanity for good, but we humans go out and scheme our way into trouble.