If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen its edge, then one must exert more strength; however, the advantage of wisdom is that it brings success.

铁器钝了，若不将刃磨快，就必多费气力；但得智慧指教，便有益处。

铁器钝了，若不将刃磨快，就必多费力气；但智慧的益处在于使人成功。

铁器钝了，若不将刃磨快，就必多费力气；但智慧的益处在于使人成功。

斧头钝了若不磨利，用起来必多费力气，但智慧能助人成功。

斧头若钝了，还不把斧刃磨快，就必多费力气；智慧的好处在于助人成功。

铁器钝了，如果不把刃磨利，用起来就多费力气；而智慧无往不利，带来成功。

鐵器鈍了，若不將刃磨快，就必多費氣力；但得智慧指教，便有益處。

鐵器鈍了，若不將刃磨快，就必多費力氣；但智慧的益處在於使人成功。

鐵器鈍了，若不將刃磨快，就必多費力氣；但智慧的益處在於使人成功。

斧頭鈍了若不磨利，用起來必多費力氣，但智慧能助人成功。

斧頭若鈍了，還不把斧刃磨快，就必多費力氣；智慧的好處在於助人成功。

鐵器若鈍了，人又不將刀刃磨快，那麼他就得多費力氣；但智慧的長處是能給人成功。

鐵器鈍了，如果不把刃磨利，用起來就多費力氣；而智慧無往不利，帶來成功。

斧鈍不礪其鋒、則費力尤多、惟智慧使人獲益、

斧斤己鈍、不加磨礪、則斬伐必費其力、智者知所當為。

斧刃已鈍、若不磨礪、斬伐必致費力、有智慧者知當務之為急、有智慧者知當務之為急或作有智慧者知如何治之

If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring success.

Suppose the blade of an ax is dull. And its edge hasn’t been sharpened. Then more effort is needed to use it. But skill will bring success.

If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge, he must use more strength, but wisdom helps one to succeed.

Using a dull ax requires great strength, so sharpen the blade. That’s the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed.

If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of bringing success.

If the ax is dull, And one does not sharpen the edge, Then he must use more strength; But wisdom brings success.

If the iron be blunt, and one do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.

If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen its edge, then one must exert more strength; however, the advantage of wisdom is that it brings success.

If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom[ is] profitable to direct.

If an iron axhead is blunt and a workman does not sharpen its edge, he must exert a great deal of effort; so wisdom has the advantage of giving success.

If the ax is blunt, and one doesn’t sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but skill brings success.

The struggles of fools weary them, for they don’t know how to go to the city.

Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God— who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly— and it will be given to him.

Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk— not as unwise people but as wise—making the most of the time, because the days are evil.So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

Now a poor wise man was found in the city, and he delivered the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man.And I said,“ Wisdom is better than strength, but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded.”The calm words of the wise are heeded more than the shouts of a ruler over fools.

Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and God be with you. You be the one to represent the people before God and bring their cases to him.Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do.But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating dishonest profit. Place them over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.They should judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you every major case but judge every minor case themselves. In this way you will lighten your load, and they will bear it with you.If you do this, and God so directs you, you will be able to endure, and also all these people will be able to go home satisfied.”

Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time.

This is what you are to do: a third of you, priests and Levites who are coming on duty on the Sabbath, are to be gatekeepers.A third are to be at the king’s palace, and a third are to be at the Foundation Gate, and all the troops will be in the courtyards of the LORD’s temple.No one is to enter the LORD’s temple but the priests and those Levites who serve; they may enter because they are holy, but all the people are to obey the requirement of the LORD.The Levites are to completely surround the king with weapons in hand. Anyone who enters the temple is to be put to death. Accompany the king in all his daily tasks.”So the commanders of hundreds did everything the priest Jehoiada commanded. They each brought their men— those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty on the Sabbath— for the priest Jehoiada did not release the divisions.The priest Jehoiada gave to the commanders of hundreds King David’s spears, shields, and quivers that were in God’s temple.Then he stationed all the troops with their weapons in hand surrounding the king— from the right side of the temple to the left side, by the altar and by the temple.They brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, gave him the testimony, and made him king. Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and cried,“ Long live the king!”

After Paul and Barnabas had engaged them in serious argument and debate, Paul and Barnabas and some others were appointed to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem about this issue.When they had been sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and they brought great joy to all the brothers and sisters.When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, the apostles, and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.But some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said,“ It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”The apostles and the elders gathered to consider this matter.After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them,“ Brothers, you are aware that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the gospel message and believe.And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he also did to us.He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.Now then, why are you testing God by putting a yoke on the disciples’ necks that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear?On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in the same way they are.”The whole assembly became silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul describe all the signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.After they stopped speaking, James responded,“ Brothers, listen to me.Simeon has reported how God first intervened to take from the Gentiles a people for his name.And the words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written:After these things I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. I will rebuild its ruins and set it up again,so that the rest of humanity may seek the Lord— even all the Gentiles who are called by my name— declares the Lord who makes these thingsknown from long ago.Therefore, in my judgment, we should not cause difficulties for those among the Gentiles who turn to God,but instead we should write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from eating anything that has been strangled, and from blood.For since ancient times, Moses has had those who proclaim him in every city, and every Sabbath day he is read aloud in the synagogues.”

So give your servant a receptive heart to judge your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of yours?”

The report of your obedience has reached everyone. Therefore I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise about what is good, and yet innocent about what is evil.

In those days, as the disciples were increasing in number, there arose a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebraic Jews that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution.The Twelve summoned the whole company of the disciples and said,“ It would not be right for us to give up preaching the word of God to wait on tables.Brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty.But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”This proposal pleased the whole company. So they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a convert from Antioch.They had them stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.So the word of God spread, the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly in number, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.Opposition arose, however, from some members of the Freedmen’s Synagogue, composed of both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, and they began to argue with Stephen.

“ So now, let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt.Let Pharaoh do this: Let him appoint overseers over the land and take a fifth of the harvest of the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.Let them gather all the excess food during these good years that are coming. Under Pharaoh’s authority, store the grain in the cities, so they may preserve it as food.The food will be a reserve for the land during the seven years of famine that will take place in the land of Egypt. Then the country will not be wiped out by the famine.”The proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants,and he said to them,“ Can we find anyone like this, a man who has God’s spirit in him?”So Pharaoh said to Joseph,“ Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you are.

Brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your thinking, but be infants in regard to evil and adult in your thinking.

From the Issacharites, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do: 200 chiefs with all their relatives under their command.

“ Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves.