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

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.

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.

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

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

If you go to war, you surely need guidance. If you want to win, you need many good advisers.

Plans fail without good advice. But they succeed when there are many advisers.

Plans are made by asking for guidance. So if you go to war, get good advice.

Rehoboam went to the city of Shechem. All the Israelites had gone there to make him king.Jeroboam heard about it. He was the son of Nebat. Jeroboam was still in Egypt at that time. He had gone there for safety. He wanted to get away from King Solomon. But now he returned from Egypt.So the people sent for Jeroboam. He and the whole community of Israel went to Rehoboam. They said to him,“ Your father put a heavy load on our shoulders. But now make our hard work easier. Make the heavy load on us lighter. Then we’ll serve you.”Rehoboam answered,“ Go away for three days. Then come back to me.” So the people went away.King Rehoboam asked the elders for advice. They had served his father Solomon while he was still living. Rehoboam asked them,“ What advice can you give me? How should I answer these people?”They replied,“ Serve them today. Give them what they are asking for. Then they’ll always serve you.”But Rehoboam didn’t accept the advice the elders gave him. Instead, he asked for advice from the young men. They had grown up with him and were now serving him.He asked them,“ What’s your advice? How should I answer these people? They say to me,‘ Make the load your father put on our shoulders lighter.’ ”The young men who had grown up with him gave their answer. They replied,“ These people have said to you,‘ Your father put a heavy load on our shoulders. Make it lighter.’ Now tell them,‘ My little finger is stronger than my father’s legs.My father put a heavy load on your shoulders. But I’ll make it even heavier. My father beat you with whips. But I’ll beat you with bigger whips.’ ”Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam. That’s because the king had said,“ Come back to me in three days.”The king answered the people in a mean way. He didn’t accept the advice the elders had given him.Instead, he followed the advice of the young men. He said,“ My father put a heavy load on your shoulders. But I’ll make it even heavier. My father beat you with whips. But I’ll beat you with bigger whips.”So the king didn’t listen to the people. That’s because the Lord had planned it that way. What he had said through Ahijah came true. Ahijah had spoken the Lord’ s message to Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. Ahijah was from Shiloh.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.But Rehoboam still ruled over the Israelites living in the towns of Judah.Adoniram was in charge of those who were forced to work hard for King Rehoboam. The king sent him out among all the Israelites. But they killed Adoniram by throwing stones at him. King Rehoboam was able to get away in his chariot. He escaped to Jerusalem.Israel has refused to follow the royal family of David to this day.

Understanding is like a fountain of life to those who have it. But foolish people are punished for the foolish things they do.

The officials of the city of Zoan are very foolish. Pharaoh’s wise men give advice that doesn’t make any sense. How can they dare to say to Pharaoh,“ We’re among the wise men”? How can they say to him,“ We’re like the advisers to the kings of long ago”?Pharaoh, where are your wise men now? Let them tell you what the Lord who rules over all has planned against Egypt.The officials of Zoan have become foolish. The leaders of Memphis have been lied to. The most important leaders in Egypt have led its people astray.The Lord has given them a spirit that makes them feel dizzy. They make Egypt unsteady in everything it does. Egypt is like a person who drinks too much. He throws up and then walks around in the mess he’s made.

The apostles and elders met to consider this question.After they had talked it over, Peter got up and spoke to them.“ Brothers,” he said,“ you know that some time ago God chose me. He appointed me to take the good news to the Gentiles. He wanted them to hear the good news and believe.God knows the human heart. By giving the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles, he showed that he accepted them. He did the same for them as he had done for us.God showed that there is no difference between us and them. That’s because he made their hearts pure because of their faith.Now then, why are you trying to test God? You test him when you put a heavy load on the shoulders of Gentiles. Our people of long ago couldn’t carry that load. We can’t either.No! We believe we are saved through the grace of our Lord Jesus. The Gentiles are saved in the same way.”Everyone became quiet as they listened to Barnabas and Paul. They were telling about the signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.When they finished, James spoke up.“ Brothers,” he said,“ listen to me.Simon Peter has explained to us what God has now done. He has chosen some of the Gentiles to be among his very own people.The prophets’ words agree with that. They say,“‘ After this I will return and set up again David’s fallen tent. I will rebuild what was destroyed. I will make it what it used to be.Then everyone else can look to the Lord. This includes all the Gentiles who belong to me, says the Lord. The Lord is the one who does these things.’( Amos 9:11, 12)The Lord does things that have been known from long ago.“ Now here is my decision. We should not make it hard for the Gentiles who are turning to God.Here is what we should write to them. They must not eat food that has been made impure by being offered to statues of gods. They must not commit sexual sins. They must not eat the meat of animals that have been choked to death. And they must not drink blood.These laws of Moses have been preached in every city from the earliest times. They are read out loud in the synagogues every Sabbath day.”