Then the men of Israel answered the men of Judah. They said,“ We have ten of the 12 tribes in the kingdom. So we have a stronger claim on David than you have. Why then are you acting as if you hate us? Weren’t we the first ones to talk about bringing back our king?” But the men of Judah argued their side even more forcefully than the men of Israel.

以色列人回答犹大人说：“按支派，我们与王有十分的情分；在大卫身上，我们也比你们更有情分。你们为何藐视我们，请王回来不先与我们商量呢？”但犹大人的话比以色列人的话更硬。

以色列人回答犹大人说：“我们与王有十倍的关系，就是在大卫身上，我们也比你们更有权利。你们为何藐视我们呢？我们不是最先提议请王回来的吗？”但犹大人的话比以色列人的话更强硬。

以色列人回答犹大人说：“我们与王有十倍的关系，就是在大卫身上，我们也比你们更有权利。你们为何藐视我们呢？我们不是最先提议请王回来的吗？”但犹大人的话比以色列人的话更强硬。

以色列人说：“但我们以色列人十个支派和王有十份的情分，你们为什么轻视我们？难道不是我们首先提出要请王回来的吗？”但犹大人的态度比以色列人还要强硬。

以色列人回答犹大人说：“在王的事上，我们有十分的投入。在大卫身上，我们也与大卫比你们更有情分。你们为什么轻视我们呢？先说要请我们的王回来的，不是我们吗？”但是犹大人的话比以色列人的话更强硬。

以色列人回答猶大人說：「按支派，我們與王有十分的情分；在大衛身上，我們也比你們更有情分。你們為何藐視我們，請王回來不先與我們商量呢？」但猶大人的話比以色列人的話更硬。

以色列人回答猶大人說：「我們與王有十倍的關係，就是在大衛身上，我們也比你們更有權利。你們為何藐視我們呢？我們不是最先提議請王回來的嗎？」但猶大人的話比以色列人的話更強硬。

以色列人回答猶大人說：「我們與王有十倍的關係，就是在大衛身上，我們也比你們更有權利。你們為何藐視我們呢？我們不是最先提議請王回來的嗎？」但猶大人的話比以色列人的話更強硬。

以色列人說：「但我們以色列人十個支派和王有十份的情分，你們為什麼輕視我們？難道不是我們首先提出要請王回來的嗎？」但猶大人的態度比以色列人還要強硬。

以色列人回答猶大人說：“在王的事上，我們有十分的投入。在大衛身上，我們也與大衛比你們更有情分。你們為甚麼輕視我們呢？先說要請我們的王回來的，不是我們嗎？”但是猶大人的話比以色列人的話更強硬。

以色列人回答猶大人說：『在王身上我們有十分的情分；在大衛身上我們也比你們更有分；你們為甚麼輕看我們，接我們的王回來、也不先和我們說一聲呢？』但是猶大人的話比以色列人的話更硬。

以色列人回應猶大人，說：「在王的一切事上，我們占有十份，所以我們比你們與大衛更有份。你們為什麼藐視我們呢？不是我們先說要我們的王回來的嗎？」但是猶大人的話比以色列人的話更強硬。

以色列人曰、我儕於王、分有其十、與大衛之情誼、較爾尤深、爾導我王歸、曷藐視我、不先與我議乎、然猶大人之言、較以色列人尤厲、

以色列族曰、立王十二支派、我有其十、故我得王較爾應多、爾欲導王歸、曷藐視我、不先與我議乎。然猶大人之言、較以色列族尤厲。

以色列人語猶大人曰、我於王有十分之關繫、我於大衛較爾情誼尤深、爾何藐視我、不使我先請我王歸耶、爾何藐視我不使我先請我王歸耶或作爾導王歸何藐視我不先與我言也又作爾何藐視我請我王歸豈非我先言之耶然猶大人之言、較以色列人之言尤厲、

Then the men of Israel answered the men of Judah,“ We have ten shares in the king; so we have a greater claim on David than you have. Why then do you treat us with contempt? Weren’t we the first to speak of bringing back our king?” But the men of Judah pressed their claims even more forcefully than the men of Israel.

And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah,“ We have ten shares in the king, and in David also we have more than you. Why then did you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king?” But the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.

“ But there are ten tribes in Israel,” the others replied.“ So we have ten times as much right to the king as you do. What right do you have to treat us with such contempt? Weren’t we the first to speak of bringing him back to be our king again?” The argument continued back and forth, and the men of Judah spoke even more harshly than the men of Israel.

The men of Israel answered the men of Judah,“ We have ten shares in the king, so we have a greater claim to David than you. Why then do you despise us? Weren’t we the first to speak of restoring our king?” But the words of the men of Judah were harsher than those of the men of Israel.

But the men of Israel answered the men of Judah and said,“ We have ten parts in the king, therefore we also have more claim on David than you. Why then did you treat us with contempt? Was it not our advice first to bring back our king?” Yet the words of the men of Judah were harsher than the words of the men of Israel.

And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said,“ We have ten shares in the king; therefore we also have more right to David than you. Why then do you despise us— were we not the first to advise bringing back our king?” Yet the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.

And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more right in David than ye: why then did ye despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.

The men of Israel answered the men of Judah:“ We have 10 shares in the king, so we have a greater claim to David than you. Why then do you despise us? Weren’t we the first to speak of restoring our king?” But the words of the men of Judah were harsher than those of the men of Israel.

And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more[ right] in David than ye: why then did ye despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.

The men of Israel replied to the men of Judah,“ We have ten shares in the king, and we have a greater claim on David than you do! Why do you want to curse us? Weren’t we the first to suggest bringing back our king?” But the comments of the men of Judah were more severe than those of the men of Israel.

The men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said,“ We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more claim to David than you. Why then did you despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king?” The words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.

All the tribes of Israel came to see David at Hebron. They said,“ We are your own flesh and blood.

It includes worshiping statues of gods and worshiping evil powers. It also includes hatred and fighting, jealousy and fits of anger. Sinful desire is interested only in getting ahead. It stirs up trouble. It separates people into their own little groups.

Don’t do anything only to get ahead. Don’t do it because you are proud. Instead, be humble. Value others more than yourselves.

All of us get tripped up in many ways. Suppose someone is never wrong in what they say. Then they are perfect. They are able to keep their whole body under control.We put a small piece of metal in the mouth of a horse to make it obey us. We can control the whole animal with it.And how about ships? They are very big. They are driven along by strong winds. But they are steered by a very small rudder. It makes them go where the captain wants to go.In the same way, the tongue is a small part of a person’s body. But it talks big. Think about how a small spark can set a big forest on fire.The tongue is also a fire. The tongue is the most evil part of the body. It makes the whole body impure. It sets a person’s whole way of life on fire. And the tongue itself is set on fire by hell.People have tamed all kinds of wild animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures. And they still tame them.But no one can tame the tongue. It is an evil thing that never rests. It is full of deadly poison.With our tongues we praise our Lord and Father. With our tongues we curse people. We do it even though people have been created to be like God.Praise and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, it shouldn’t be this way.

A broken friendship is harder to handle than a city with high walls around it. And arguing is like the locked gates of a mighty city.

Where there is arguing, there is pride. But those who take advice are wise.

So the hearts of all the men of Judah were turned toward David. All of them had the same purpose in mind. They sent a message to the king. They said,“ We want you to come back. We want all your men to come back too.”

The troops of Ephraim were called out. The troops went across the Jordan River to Zaphon. When they arrived, they said to Jephthah,“ You went to fight against the Ammonites. Why didn’t you ask us to go with you? We’re going to burn down your house over your head.”Jephthah answered,“ I and my people were taking part in a great struggle. We were at war with the Ammonites. I asked you for help. But you didn’t come to save me from their power.I saw that you wouldn’t help. So I put my own life in danger. I went across the Jordan to fight against the Ammonites. The Lord helped me win the battle over them. So why have you come up today to fight against me?”Then Jephthah called the men of Gilead together. They fought against Ephraim. The men of Gilead struck them down. The people of Ephraim had said,“ You people of Gilead are nothing but deserters from Ephraim and Manasseh.”The men of Gilead captured the places where people go across the Jordan River to get to Ephraim. Some men of Ephraim weren’t killed in the battle. When they arrived at the river, they would say,“ Let us go across.” Then the men of Gilead would ask each one,“ Are you from Ephraim?” Suppose he replied,“ No.”Then they would say,“ All right. Say‘ Shibboleth.’ ” If he said“ Sibboleth,” the way he said the word would give him away. He couldn’t say it correctly. So they would grab him. Then they would kill him at one of the places where people go across the Jordan. At that time, 42,000 men of Ephraim were killed.

If you say or do things that harm one another, watch out! You could end up destroying one another.

All the Israelites saw that the king refused to listen to them. So they answered the king. They said,“ We don’t have any share in David’s royal family. We don’t have any share in Jesse’s son. People of Israel, let’s go back to our homes. David’s royal family, take care of your own kingdom!” So the Israelites went home.

The men of Ephraim asked Gideon,“ Why have you treated us like this? Why didn’t you ask us to help you when you went out to fight against Midian?” In anger they challenged Gideon.

Why do you fight and argue among yourselves? Isn’t it because of your sinful desires? They fight within you.You want something, but you don’t have it. So you kill. You want what others have, but you can’t get what you want. So you argue and fight. You don’t have what you want, because you don’t ask God.When you do ask for something, you don’t receive it. That’s because you ask for the wrong reason. You want to spend your money on your sinful pleasures.You are not faithful to God. Don’t you know that to be a friend of the world is to hate God? So anyone who chooses to be the world’s friend becomes God’s enemy.Don’t you know what Scripture says? God wants the spirit in us to belong only to him. God caused this spirit to live in us. Don’t you think Scripture has a reason for saying this?

Ahijah grabbed the new coat he had on. He tore it up into 12 pieces.Then he said to Jeroboam,“ Take ten pieces for yourself. The Lord is the God of Israel. He says,‘ I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon’s hand. I will give you ten of its tribes.

Let us not become proud. Let us not make each other angry. Let us not want what belongs to others.

Then God stirred up trouble between Abimelek and the citizens of Shechem. So they turned against Abimelek. They decided not to follow him anymore.

Don’t let evil overcome you. Overcome evil by doing good.

People from all the tribes of Israel began to argue among themselves. They were saying,“ The king saved us from the power of our enemies. He saved us from the power of the Philistines. But now he has left the country to escape from Absalom.

Starting to argue is like making a crack in a dam. So drop the matter before a fight breaks out.

A gentle answer turns anger away. But mean words stir up anger.

An evil man who always stirred up trouble happened to be in Gilgal. His name was Sheba, the son of Bikri. Sheba was from the tribe of Benjamin. He blew his trumpet. Then he shouted,“ We don’t have any share in David’s kingdom! Jesse’s son is not our king! Men of Israel, every one of you go back home!”

But suppose your hearts are jealous and bitter. Suppose you are concerned only about getting ahead. Then don’t brag about it. And don’t say no to the truth.Wisdom like this doesn’t come down from heaven. It belongs to the earth. It doesn’t come from the Holy Spirit. It comes from the devil.Are you jealous? Are you concerned only about getting ahead? Then your life will be a mess. You will be doing all kinds of evil things.

David said to Abishai,“ Sheba, the son of Bikri, will do more harm to us than Absalom ever did. Take my men and go after him. If you don’t, he’ll find cities that have high walls around them. He’ll go into one of them and escape from us.”

Human anger doesn’t produce the holy life God wants.