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

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 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.

So don’t go to war without wise guidance; victory depends on having many advisers.

Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.

Plans succeed through good counsel; don’t go to war without wise advice.

Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all Israel had gathered to make him king.When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of this, he returned from Egypt, for he had fled to Egypt to escape from King Solomon.The leaders of Israel summoned him, and Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel went to speak with Rehoboam.“ Your father was a hard master,” they said.“ Lighten the harsh labor demands and heavy taxes that your father imposed on us. Then we will be your loyal subjects.”Rehoboam replied,“ Give me three days to think this over. Then come back for my answer.” So the people went away.Then King Rehoboam discussed the matter with the older men who had counseled his father, Solomon.“ What is your advice?” he asked.“ How should I answer these people?”The older counselors replied,“ If you are willing to be a servant to these people today and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your loyal subjects.”But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the older men and instead asked the opinion of the young men who had grown up with him and were now his advisers.“ What is your advice?” he asked them.“ How should I answer these people who want me to lighten the burdens imposed by my father?”The young men replied,“ This is what you should tell those complainers who want a lighter burden:‘ My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist!Yes, my father laid heavy burdens on you, but I’m going to make them even heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!’”Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to hear Rehoboam’s decision, just as the king had ordered.But Rehoboam spoke harshly to the people, for he rejected the advice of the older counselorsand followed the counsel of his younger advisers. He told the people,“ My father laid heavy burdens on you, but I’m going to make them even heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!”So the king paid no attention to the people. This turn of events was the will of the Lord, for it fulfilled the Lord’s message to Jeroboam son of Nebat through the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh.When all Israel realized that the king had refused to listen to them, they responded,“ Down with the dynasty of David! We have no interest in the son of Jesse. Back to your homes, O Israel! Look out for your own house, O David!” So the people of Israel returned home.But Rehoboam continued to rule over the Israelites who lived in the towns of Judah.King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, who was in charge of forced labor, to restore order, but the people of Israel stoned him to death. When this news reached King Rehoboam, he quickly jumped into his chariot and fled to Jerusalem.And to this day the northern tribes of Israel have refused to be ruled by a descendant of David.

Discretion is a life giving fountain to those who possess it, but discipline is wasted on fools.

What fools are the officials of Zoan! Their best counsel to the king of Egypt is stupid and wrong. Will they still boast to Pharaoh of their wisdom? Will they dare brag about all their wise ancestors?Where are your wise counselors, Pharaoh? Let them tell you what God plans, what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is going to do to Egypt.The officials of Zoan are fools, and the officials of Memphis are deluded. The leaders of the people have led Egypt astray.The Lord has sent a spirit of foolishness on them, so all their suggestions are wrong. They cause Egypt to stagger like a drunk in his vomit.

So the apostles and elders met together to resolve this issue.At the meeting, after a long discussion, Peter stood and addressed them as follows:“ Brothers, you all know that God chose me from among you some time ago to preach to the Gentiles so that they could hear the Good News and believe.God knows people’s hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us.He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith.So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear?We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.”Everyone listened quietly as Barnabas and Paul told about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.When they had finished, James stood and said,“ Brothers, listen to me.Peter has told you about the time God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people for himself.And this conversion of Gentiles is exactly what the prophets predicted. As it is written:‘ Afterward I will return and restore the fallen house of David. I will rebuild its ruins and restore it,so that the rest of humanity might seek the Lord, including the Gentiles— all those I have called to be mine. The Lord has spoken—he who made these things known so long ago.’“ And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from eating food offered to idols, from sexual immorality, from eating the meat of strangled animals, and from consuming blood.For these laws of Moses have been preached in Jewish synagogues in every city on every Sabbath for many generations.”