7:7a Surely extortion turns a wise man into a fool,

Even a wise person can become foolish if they demand money ⌊for something they shouldn’t⌋ .
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Even the wise will forget their wisdom, if someone pays them enough. (English Easy-to-Read Version)
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Corruption makes fools of sensible people, (Contemporary English Version)

7:7b and a bribe corrupts the heart.

When someone takes a bribe it will destroy ⌊that person’s⌋ life.
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A wise person makes poor decisions if he accepts bribes.
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and bribes corrupt the heart. (Contemporary English Version)
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And taking bribes ruins ⌊his⌋ morals.

7:7a-b (combined)

Even wise people are fools if they let money change their thinking. (New Century Version)
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When someone pays a wise man to change his mind, ⌊and he does change his mind⌋ , then the wise man becomes a fool.

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