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7:1  A good reputation at the time of death is better than loving care at the time of birth.
7:2  It's better to go to a funeral than to attend a feast; funerals remind us that we all must die.
7:3  Choose sorrow over laughter because a sad face may hide a happy heart.
7:4  A sensible person mourns, but fools always laugh.
7:5  Correction from someone wise is better by far than praise from fools.
7:6  Foolish laughter is stupid. It sounds like thorns crackling in a fire.
7:7  Corruption makes fools of sensible people, and bribes can ruin you.
7:8  Something completed is better than something just begun; patience is better than too much pride.
7:9  Only fools get angry quickly and hold a grudge.
7:10  It isn't wise to ask, “Why is everything worse than it used to be?”
7:11  Having wisdom is better than an inheritance.
7:12  Wisdom will protect you just like money; knowledge with good sense will lead you to life.
7:13  Think of what God has done! If God makes something crooked, can you make it straight?
7:14  When times are good, you should be cheerful; when times are bad, think about what it means. God makes them both to keep us from knowing what will happen next.
7:15  I have seen everything during this senseless life of mine. I have seen good citizens die for doing the right thing, while criminals live and prosper.
7:16  So don't destroy yourself by being too good or acting too smart!
7:17  Don't die before your time by being too evil or acting like a fool.
7:18  Keep to the middle of the road. You can do this if you truly respect God.
7:19  Wisdom will make you stronger than the ten most powerful leaders in your city.
7:20  No one in this world always does right.
7:21  Don't listen to everything that everyone says, or you might hear your servant cursing you.
7:22  Haven't you cursed many others?
7:23  I told myself that I would be smart and try to understand all this, but it was too much for me.
7:24  The truth is beyond us. It's far too deep.
7:25  So I decided to learn everything I could and become wise enough to discover what life is all about. At the same time, I wanted to understand why it's stupid and senseless to be an evil fool.
7:26  Here is what I discovered: A bad woman is worse than death. She is a trap, reaching out with body and soul to catch you. But if you obey God, you can escape. If you don't obey, you are done for.
7:27  With all my wisdom I have tried to find out how everything fits together,
7:28  but so far I have not been able to. I do know there is one good man in a thousand, but never have I found a good woman.
7:29  I did learn one thing: We were completely honest when God created us, but now we have twisted minds.