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Do not seek evil gains; evil gains are the equivalent of disaster.

— Hesiod Works and Days (-700)

μὴ κακὰ κερδαίνειν: κακὰ κέρδεα ἶσ᾽ ἀάτῃσιν

Original text (Ancient Greek)

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Notes from Wikiquote

Line 352 | Compare Proverbs 15:6: The gains of the wicked bring trouble.

More quotes by Hesiod

He harms himself who does harm to another, and the evil plan is most harmful to the planner.

Works and Days (-700)

Observe due measure, for right timing is in all things the most important factor.

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Often an entire city has suffered because of an evil man.

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For a man wins nothing better than a good wife, and, again, nothing worse than a bad one.

Works and Days (-700)

Do not get a name either as lavish or as churlish; as a friend of rogues or as a slanderer of good men.

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Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Hesiod (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.