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7:1  It is better to have respect than good perfume. The day a person dies is better than the day he was born.
7:2  It is better to go to a funeral than to a party. We all must die. Everyone living should think about this.
7:3  Sorrow is better than laughter. Sadness has a good influence on you.
7:4  A wise man thinks about death, but a foolish person thinks only about having a good time.
7:5  It is better to be criticized by a wise man than to be praised by a foolish person.
7:6  The laughter of foolish people is useless. It is like heating a pot by burning straw. There is a lot of fire but no heat.
7:7  Even a wise man will become foolish if he lets money change his thinking.
7:8  It is better to finish something than to start it. It is better to be patient than to be proud.
7:9  Don’t become mad quickly, because getting angry is foolish.
7:10  Don’t ask, “Why was life better in the ‘good old days’?” It is not wise to ask such questions.
7:11  Wisdom is as good to have as inheriting property. It helps people see what to do.
7:12  Wisdom is like money. They both help a person. But wisdom is better than money, because it can save a person’s life.
7:13  Stop and think about everything that God causes to happen. You cannot change a thing, even if you think it is wrong.
7:14  When life is good, enjoy it. But when life is hard, remember: God gives us good times and hard times. And no one knows what tomorrow will bring.
7:15  In my short life I have seen both of these: I have seen good men die being good. And I have seen evil men living a long time.
7:16  Don’t try to be too right all the time. Don’t try to be too wise, either. Why should you destroy yourself this way?
7:17  Don’t be too wicked. And don’t be a foolish person. You will die young if you do so.
7:18  Try to avoid going too far in doing anything. Those who honor God will avoid doing too much of anything.
7:19  Wisdom gives a person strength. One wise man is stronger than ten leaders in a city.
7:20  Surely there is not a good man on earth who always does good and never sins.
7:21  Don’t listen to everything people say. You might hear your servant insulting you.
7:22  You know that many times you also have insulted others.
7:23  I used wisdom to test all these things. I wanted to be wise, but it was too hard for me.
7:24  I cannot understand why things are as they are. It is too hard for anyone to understand.
7:25  I studied and tried very hard to find wisdom. I tried to find some meaning for everything. I learned that it is foolish to be evil. And it is crazy to act like a fool.
7:26  I found that some women are worse than death. They are as dangerous as traps. Their love is like a net. Their arms hold men like chains. A man who follows God will run away from them. But a sinner will be caught by them.
7:27  The Teacher says, “This is what I learned: I added all these things together to see if I could find some meaning for everything.
7:28  I am still looking for it, but I have not found it. But I did discover that truly good people are hard to find. Such people are one in a million!
7:29  One thing I have learned: God made people good. But people have found all kinds of ways to be bad.”