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.

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

The toil of a stupid fool wears him out, because he does not even know the way to the city.

But if anyone is deficient in wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without reprimand, and it will be given to him.

Therefore be very careful how you live– not as unwise but as wise,taking advantage of every opportunity, because the days are evil.For this reason do not be foolish, but be wise by understanding what the Lord’s will is.

However, a poor but wise man lived in the city, and he could have delivered the city by his wisdom, but no one listened to that poor man.So I concluded that wisdom is better than might, but a poor man’s wisdom is despised; no one ever listens to his advice.The words of the wise are heard in quiet, more than the shouting of a ruler is heard among fools.

Now listen to me, I will give you advice, and may God be with you: You be a representative for the people to God, and you bring their disputes to God;warn them of the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do.But you choose from the people capable men, God-fearing, men of truth, those who hate bribes, and put them over the people as rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.They will judge the people under normal circumstances, and every difficult case they will bring to you, but every small case they themselves will judge, so that you may make it easier for yourself, and they will bear 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 will be able to go home satisfied.”

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

This is what you must do. One third of you priests and Levites who are on duty during the Sabbath will guard the doors.Another third of you will be stationed at the royal palace and still another third at the Foundation Gate. All the others will stand in the courtyards of the LORD’s temple.No one must enter the LORD’s temple except the priests and Levites who are on duty. They may enter because they are ceremonially pure. All the others should carry out their assigned service to the LORD.The Levites must surround the king. Each of you must hold his weapon in his hand. Whoever tries to enter the temple must be killed. You must accompany the king wherever he goes.”The Levites and all the men of Judah did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each of them took his men, those who were on duty during the Sabbath as well as those who were off duty on the Sabbath. Jehoiada the priest did not release his divisions from their duties.Jehoiada the priest gave to the officers of the units of hundreds King David’s spears and shields that were kept in God’s temple.He placed the men at their posts, each holding his weapon in his hand. They lined up from the south side of the temple to the north side and stood near the altar and the temple, surrounding the king.Jehoiada and his sons led out the king’s son and placed on him the crown and the royal insignia. They proclaimed him king and poured olive oil on his head. They declared,“ Long live the king!”

When Paul and Barnabas had a major argument and debate with them, the church appointed Paul and Barnabas and some others from among them to go up to meet with the apostles and elders in Jerusalem about this point of disagreement.So they were sent on their way by the church, and as they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, they were relating at length the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy to all the brothers.When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all the things God had done with them.But some from the religious party of the Pharisees who had believed stood up and said,“ It is necessary to circumcise the Gentiles and to order them to observe the law of Moses.”Both the apostles and the elders met together to deliberate about this matter.After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them,“ Brothers, you know that some time ago God chose me to preach to the Gentiles so they would hear the message of the gospel and believe.And God, who knows the heart, has testified to them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us,and he made no distinction between them and us, cleansing their hearts by faith.So now why are you putting God to the test by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke 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 as they are.”The whole group kept quiet and listened to Barnabas and Paul while they explained all the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.After they stopped speaking, James replied,“ Brothers, listen to me.Simeon has explained how God first concerned himself to select from among the Gentiles a people for his name.The words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written,‘ After this I will return, and I will rebuild the fallen tent of David; I will rebuild its ruins and restore it,so that the rest of humanity may seek the Lord, namely, all the Gentiles I have called to be my own,’ says the Lord, who makes these thingsknown from long ago.“ Therefore I conclude that we should not cause extra difficulty for those among the Gentiles who are turning to God,but that we should write them a letter telling them to abstain from things defiled by idols and from sexual immorality and from what has been strangled and from blood.For Moses has had those who proclaim him in every town from ancient times, because he is read aloud in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

So give your servant a discerning mind so he can make judicial decisions for your people and distinguish right from wrong. Otherwise no one is able to make judicial decisions for this great nation of yours.”

Your obedience is known to all and thus I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.

Now in those days, when the disciples were growing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Greek- speaking Jews against the native Hebraic Jews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.So the twelve called the whole group of the disciples together and said,“ It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to wait on tables.But carefully select from among you, brothers, seven men who are well- attested, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this necessary task.But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”The proposal pleased the entire group, so they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a Gentile convert to Judaism from Antioch.They stood these men before the apostles, who prayed and placed their hands on them.The word of God continued to spread, the number of disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and miraculous signs among the people.But some men from the Synagogue of the Freedmen( as it was called), both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, as well as some from Cilicia and the province of Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen.

“ So now Pharaoh should look for a wise and discerning man and give him authority over all the land of Egypt.Pharaoh should do this– he should appoint officials throughout the land to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.They should gather all the excess food during these good years that are coming. By Pharaoh’s authority they should store up grain so the cities will have food, and they should preserve it.This food should be held in storage for the land in preparation for the seven years of famine that will occur throughout the land of Egypt. In this way the land will survive the famine.”This advice made sense to Pharaoh and all his officials.So Pharaoh asked his officials,“ Can we find a man like Joseph, one in whom the Spirit of God is present?”So Pharaoh said to Joseph,“ Because God has enabled you to know all this, there is no one as wise and discerning as you are!

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

From Issachar there were 200 leaders and all their relatives at their command– they understood the times and knew what Israel should do.

“ I am sending you out like sheep surrounded by wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.