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.

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 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 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 labor of a fool makes him so weary that he does not even know how to go to a city.

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise,making the most of your time, because the days are evil.Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

But there was found in it a poor wise man, and he saved the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man.So I said,“ Wisdom is better than strength.” But the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are ignored.The words of the wise heard in calm are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.

Now listen to me: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You be the people’s representative before God, and you bring the disputes to God,then admonish them about the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they are to walk and the work they are to do.Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.Let them judge the people at all times; and let it be that they will bring to you every major matter, but they will judge every minor matter themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will carry the burden with you.If you do this thing and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their places in peace.”

Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.

This is the thing which you shall do: a third of you, of the priests and Levites who come in on the Sabbath, shall be gatekeepers,and a third shall be at the king’s house, and a third at the Gate of the Foundation; and all the people shall be in the courtyards of the house of the Lord.But no one is to enter the house of the Lord except the priests and the ministering Levites; they may enter, for they are holy. And all the people are to keep the command of the Lord.The Levites will surround the king, each man with his weapons in his hand; and whoever enters the house is to be put to death. Therefore be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.”The Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. And each one of them took his men who were to come in on the Sabbath, with those who were to go out on the Sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest did not dismiss any of the divisions.Then Jehoiada the priest gave the captains of hundreds the spears and the shields and quivers which had been King David’s, which were in the house of God.He stationed all the people, each man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, by the altar and by the house, around the king.Then they brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him, and gave him the testimony and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and said,“ Long live the king!”

And after Paul and Barnabas had a heated argument and debate with them, the brothers determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue.Therefore, after being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and they were bringing great joy to all the brothers and sisters.When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were received by the church, the apostles, and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying,“ It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to keep the Law of Moses.”The apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter.After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them,“ Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe.And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us;and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.Since this is the case, why are you putting God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our forefathers nor we have been able to bear?But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”All the people kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating all the signs and wonders that God had done through them among the Gentiles.After they stopped speaking, James responded, saying,“ Brothers, listen to me.Simeon has described how God first concerned Himself about taking a people for His name from among the Gentiles.The words of the Prophets agree with this, just as it is written:‘ After these things I will return, And I will rebuild the fallen tabernacle of David, And I will rebuild its ruins, And I will restore it,So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, And all the Gentiles who are called by My name,’Says the Lord, who makes these things known from long ago.Therefore, it is my judgment that we do not cause trouble for those from the Gentiles who are turning to God,but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols, from acts of sexual immorality, from what has been strangled, and from blood.For from ancient generations Moses has those who preach him in every city, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, to discern between good and evil. For who is capable of judging this great people of Yours?”

For the report of your obedience has reached everyone; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good, and innocent in what is evil.

Now at this time, as the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint developed on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food.So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said,“ It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables.Instead, brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”The announcement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch.And they brought these men before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.The word of God kept spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen.

So now let Pharaoh look for a man discerning and wise, and appoint him over the land of Egypt.Let Pharaoh take action to appoint overseers in charge of the land, and let him take a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt as a tax in the seven years of abundance.Then have them collect all the food of these good years that are coming, and store up the grain for food in the cities under Pharaoh’s authority, and have them guard it.Let the food be used as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which will occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land will not perish during the famine.”Now the proposal seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his servants.Then Pharaoh said to his servants,“ Can we find a man like this, in whom there is a divine spirit?”So Pharaoh said to Joseph,“ Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you are.

Brothers and sisters, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.

From the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their kinsmen were at their command.

“ Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be as wary as serpents, and as innocent as doves.