7. You will be endangered if you are too talkative or accumulate too much wealth.

人皆欲會說話，蘇秦①乃因會說而殺身；人皆欲多積財，石崇②乃因多積財而喪命。

【中文注釋】

① 蘇秦，戰國時著名的縱橫家、外交家和謀略家。口才極佳，遊說六國合縱以抗秦，曾一度受封為六國宰相，使秦國不敢窺函穀關有十五年之久，後至齊，從事反間活動，被齊國眾大夫因爭寵派人刺殺。

② 石崇，西晉時期文學家、大臣、富豪，“金穀二十四友”之一。永康元年（300年），賈後等為趙王司馬倫所殺，司馬倫黨羽孫秀向石崇索要其寵妾綠珠不果，因而誣陷其為亂黨，遭夷三族。晉惠帝複位後，以九卿禮安葬石崇。

【今文解譯】

誰都想能說會道，可是戰國的蘇秦卻因為太會說話而慘遭刺殺。

誰都想發家致富，可是西晉的石崇卻因為斂財太多而命喪黃泉。

【English Translation】

Everyone wishes to have a glib tongue, disregarding the fact that Su Qin* was assassinated for his gift of the gab.

Everyone desires to be a richer, not knowing that Shi Chong* was killed for his over-accumulated wealth.

【English Annotation】

* Su Qin (?-317BC), a statesman, diplomat, political strategist during the Warring States Period, and one of the leading figures of the School of Diplomacy (or School of Vertical and Horizontal Alliances), also called Su Zi.

* Shi Chong (249-300), a man of letters as well as a powerful and rich man of the Western Jin Dynasty.

嚴可平躁 敬以化邪