When there is no guidance a nation falls, but there is success in the abundance of counselors.

无智谋，民就败落；谋士多，人便安居。

无智谋，民就败落；谋士多，就必得胜。

无智谋，民就败落；谋士多，就必得胜。

缺乏智谋，国必败亡；谋士众多，战无不胜。

没有智谋，国家败落；谋士众多，就能得胜。

没有引导，民就落败；谋士众多，就必得胜。

無智謀，民就敗落；謀士多，人便安居。

無智謀，民就敗落；謀士多，就必得勝。

無智謀，民就敗落；謀士多，就必得勝。

缺乏智謀，國必敗亡；謀士眾多，戰無不勝。

沒有智謀，國家敗落；謀士眾多，就能得勝。

無智謀，人民就敗落；謀士多，百姓便安全。

沒有引導，民就落敗；謀士眾多，就必得勝。

無智謀、民必仆、多議士、民乃安、

無良謀、邦必喪、集眾議、國以安。

無政治、民必隕墮、議士多、國乃平康、

For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.

Without guidance a nation falls. But many good advisers can bring victory to a nation.

Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.

Without wise leadership, a nation falls; there is safety in having many advisers.

Without guidance, a people will fall, but with many counselors there is deliverance.

Where there is no guidance the people fall, But in an abundance of counselors there is victory.

Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

Where no wise guidance is, the people falleth; But in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

Without guidance, people fall, but with many counselors there is deliverance.

Where no counsel[ is], the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors[ there is] safety.

Where there is no wise guidance, the nation falls, but in the multitude of counselors there is victory.

for with guidance you wage your war, and with numerous advisers there is victory.

Plans fail when there is no counsel, but with abundant advisers they are established.

Plans are established by counsel, so make war with guidance.

Rehoboam traveled to Shechem, for all Israel had gathered in Shechem to make Rehoboam king.When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard the news, he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon and had been living ever since.They sent for him, and Jeroboam and the whole Israelite assembly came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,“ Your father made us work too hard. Now if you lighten the demands he made and don’t make us work as hard, we will serve you.”He said to them,“ Go away for three days, then return to me.” So the people went away.King Rehoboam consulted with the older advisers who had served his father Solomon when he had been alive. He asked them,“ How do you advise me to answer these people?”They said to him,“ Today if you show a willingness to help these people and grant their request, they will be your servants from this time forward.”But Rehoboam rejected their advice and consulted the young advisers who served him, with whom he had grown up.He asked them,“ How do you advise me to respond to these people who said to me,‘ Lessen the demands your father placed on us’?”The young advisers with whom Rehoboam had grown up said to him,“ Say this to these people who have said to you,‘ Your father made us work hard, but now lighten our burden.’ Say this to them:‘ I am a lot harsher than my father!My father imposed heavy demands on you; I will make them even heavier. My father punished you with ordinary whips; I will punish you with whips that really sting your flesh.’”Jeroboam and all the people reported to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had ordered when he said,“ Return to me on the third day.”The king responded to the people harshly. He rejected the advice of the older menand followed the advice of the younger ones. He said,“ My father imposed heavy demands on you; I will make them even heavier. My father punished you with ordinary whips; I will punish you with whips that really sting your flesh.”The king refused to listen to the people, because the LORD was instigating this turn of events so that he might bring to pass the prophetic announcement he had made through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, the people answered the king,“ We have no portion in David, no share in the son of Jesse! Return to your homes, O Israel! Now, look after your own dynasty, O David!” So Israel returned to their homes.( Rehoboam continued to rule over the Israelites who lived in the cities of Judah.)King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, the supervisor of the work crews, out after them, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam managed to jump into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem.So Israel has been in rebellion against the Davidic dynasty to this very day.

Insight is like a life-giving fountain to the one who possesses it, but folly leads to the discipline of fools.

The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; Pharaoh’s wise advisers give stupid advice. How dare you say to Pharaoh,“ I am one of the sages, one well-versed in the writings of the ancient kings?”But where, oh where, are your wise men? Let them tell you, let them find out what the LORD who commands armies has planned for Egypt.The officials of Zoan are fools, the officials of Memphis are misled; the rulers of her tribes lead Egypt astray.The LORD has made them undiscerning; they lead Egypt astray in all she does, so that she is like a drunk sliding around in his own vomit.

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.”