Starting to argue is like making a crack in a dam. So drop the matter before a fight breaks out.

纷争的起头如水放开，所以，在争闹之先必当止息争竞。

纷争掀起，如同缺口的水；因此，争端尚未爆发就当制止。

纷争掀起，如同缺口的水；因此，争端尚未爆发就当制止。

争端爆发如洪水决堤，当在爆发前将其制止。

纷争的开始，如同决堤的水；所以在争执发生以前，就要制止。

纷争的开始，就如放开的水；卷入争执之前，当放弃争辩。

紛爭的起頭如水放開，所以，在爭鬧之先必當止息爭競。

紛爭掀起，如同缺口的水；因此，爭端尚未爆發就當制止。

紛爭掀起，如同缺口的水；因此，爭端尚未爆發就當制止。

爭端爆發如洪水決堤，當在爆發前將其制止。

紛爭的開始，如同決堤的水；所以在爭執發生以前，就要制止。

紛爭之起點如放水；故爭吵尚未暴發，先要放棄。

紛爭的開始，就如放開的水；捲入爭執之前，當放棄爭辯。

釁端之起、如水潰決、宜先弭之、以免爭鬥、

釁隙之開、若江河之潰、故爭競將起、必弭之。

爭端之起、如水之破隙、故爭競未發之先、當止之、

Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.

The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out.

Starting a quarrel is like opening a floodgate, so stop before a dispute breaks out.

To start a conflict is to release a flood; stop the dispute before it breaks out.

The beginning of strife is like letting out water, So abandon the quarrel before it breaks out.

The beginning of strife is like releasing water; Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts.

The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: Therefore leave off contention, before there is quarrelling.

To start a conflict is to release a flood; stop the dispute before it breaks out.

The beginning of strife[ is as] when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.

Starting a quarrel is like letting out water; stop it before strife breaks out!

The beginning of strife is like breaching a dam, therefore stop contention before quarreling breaks out.

don’t bring too quickly to court. What will you do in the end if your neighbor puts you to shame?

Avoiding a fight brings honor to a person. But every foolish person is quick to argue.

And do everything you can to live a quiet life. You should mind your own business. And work with your hands, just as we told you to.

But suppose your hearts are jealous and bitter. Suppose you are concerned only about getting ahead. Then don’t brag about it. And don’t say no to the truth.Wisdom like this doesn’t come down from heaven. It belongs to the earth. It doesn’t come from the Holy Spirit. It comes from the devil.Are you jealous? Are you concerned only about getting ahead? Then your life will be a mess. You will be doing all kinds of evil things.But the wisdom that comes from heaven is pure. That’s the most important thing about it. And that’s not all. It also loves peace. It thinks about others. It obeys. It is full of mercy and good fruit. It is fair. It doesn’t pretend to be what it is not.Those who make peace plant it like a seed. They will harvest a crop of right living.

The end of a matter is better than its beginning. So it’s better to be patient than proud.Don’t become angry quickly. Anger lives in the hearts of foolish people.

A gentle answer turns anger away. But mean words stir up anger.

Amaziah, the king of Judah, spoke to his advisers. Then he sent a message to Jehoash, the king of Israel. Jehoash was the son of Jehoahaz. Jehoahaz was the son of Jehu. Amaziah dared Jehoash,“ Come on! Let us face each other in battle!”But Jehoash, the king of Israel, answered Amaziah, the king of Judah. Jehoash said,“ A thorn bush in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar tree there. The thorn bush said,‘ Give your daughter to be married to my son.’ Then a wild animal in Lebanon came along. It crushed the thorn bush by walking on it.You brag that you have won the battle over Edom. You are very proud. But stay home! Why ask for trouble? Why bring yourself crashing down? Why bring Judah down with you?”But Amaziah wouldn’t listen. That’s because God had planned to hand Judah over to Jehoash. After all, they had asked the gods of Edom for advice.So Jehoash, the king of Israel, attacked. He and Amaziah, the king of Judah, faced each other in battle. The battle took place at Beth Shemesh in Judah.Israel drove Judah away. Every man ran home.Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah at Beth Shemesh. Amaziah was the son of Joash. Joash was the son of Ahaziah. Jehoash brought Amaziah to Jerusalem. Jehoash broke down part of its wall. It’s the part that went from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. That part of the wall was 600 feet long.Jehoash took all the gold and silver. He took all the objects he found in God’s temple. Obed- Edom had been in charge of them. Jehoash also took the palace treasures and the prisoners. Then he returned to Samaria.

Anyone who is patient has great understanding. But anyone who gets angry quickly shows how foolish they are.

If possible, live in peace with everyone. Do that as much as you can.

An angry person stirs up fights. And a person with a bad temper commits many sins.

Coal glows, and wood burns. And a person who argues stirs up conflict.

The troops of Ephraim were called out. The troops went across the Jordan River to Zaphon. When they arrived, they said to Jephthah,“ You went to fight against the Ammonites. Why didn’t you ask us to go with you? We’re going to burn down your house over your head.”Jephthah answered,“ I and my people were taking part in a great struggle. We were at war with the Ammonites. I asked you for help. But you didn’t come to save me from their power.I saw that you wouldn’t help. So I put my own life in danger. I went across the Jordan to fight against the Ammonites. The Lord helped me win the battle over them. So why have you come up today to fight against me?”Then Jephthah called the men of Gilead together. They fought against Ephraim. The men of Gilead struck them down. The people of Ephraim had said,“ You people of Gilead are nothing but deserters from Ephraim and Manasseh.”The men of Gilead captured the places where people go across the Jordan River to get to Ephraim. Some men of Ephraim weren’t killed in the battle. When they arrived at the river, they would say,“ Let us go across.” Then the men of Gilead would ask each one,“ Are you from Ephraim?” Suppose he replied,“ No.”Then they would say,“ All right. Say‘ Shibboleth.’ ” If he said“ Sibboleth,” the way he said the word would give him away. He couldn’t say it correctly. So they would grab him. Then they would kill him at one of the places where people go across the Jordan. At that time, 42,000 men of Ephraim were killed.

Don’t have anything to do with arguing. It is dumb and foolish. You know it only leads to fights.Anyone who serves the Lord must not be hard to get along with. Instead, they must be kind to everyone. They must be able to teach. The one who serves must not hold anything against anyone.

The one who loves to argue loves to sin. The one who builds a high gate is just asking to be destroyed.

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 God had planned it that way. What the Lord 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 all the Israelites went home.

The men of Ephraim asked Gideon,“ Why have you treated us like this? Why didn’t you ask us to help you when you went out to fight against Midian?” In anger they challenged Gideon.But he answered them,“ What I’ve done isn’t anything compared to what you have done. Ephraim’s grapes have been gathered. Isn’t what is left over better than all the grapes that have been gathered from Abiezer’s vines?God handed Oreb and Zeeb over to you. They were Midianite leaders. So what was I able to do compared to what you did?” After Gideon had said that, they didn’t feel angry with him anymore.

But here is what I tell you. Do not fight against an evil person. Suppose someone slaps you on your right cheek. Turn your other cheek to them also.Suppose someone takes you to court to get your shirt. Let them have your coat also.Suppose someone forces you to go one mile. Go two miles with them.

Where there is arguing, there is pride. But those who take advice are wise.

Soon all the men of Israel were coming to the king. They were saying to him,“ Why did the men of Judah take you away from us? They are our relatives. What right did they have to bring you and your family across the Jordan River? What right did they have to bring all your men over with you?”All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel. They said,“ We did that because the king is our close relative. So why should you be angry about what happened? Have we eaten any of the king’s food? Have we taken anything for ourselves?”Then the men of Israel answered the men of Judah. They said,“ We have ten of the 12 tribes in the kingdom. So we have a stronger claim on David than you have. Why then are you acting as if you hate us? Weren’t we the first ones to talk about bringing back our king?” But the men of Judah argued their side even more forcefully than the men of Israel.An evil man who always stirred up trouble happened to be in Gilgal. His name was Sheba, the son of Bikri. Sheba was from the tribe of Benjamin. He blew his trumpet. Then he shouted,“ We don’t have any share in David’s kingdom! Jesse’s son is not our king! Men of Israel, every one of you go back home!”So all the men of Israel deserted David. They followed Sheba, the son of Bikri. But the men of Judah stayed with their king. They remained with him from the Jordan River all the way to Jerusalem.David returned to his palace in Jerusalem. He had left ten concubines there to take care of the palace. He put them in a house and kept them under guard. He gave them what they needed. But he didn’t sleep with them. They were kept under guard until the day they died. They lived as if they were widows.The king said to Amasa,“ Send for the men of Judah. Tell them to come to me within three days. And be here yourself.”So Amasa went to get the men of Judah. But he took longer than the time the king had set for him.David said to Abishai,“ Sheba, the son of Bikri, will do more harm to us than Absalom ever did. Take my men and go after him. If you don’t, he’ll find cities that have high walls around them. He’ll go into one of them and escape from us.”So Joab’s men marched out with the Kerethites and Pelethites. They went out with all the mighty soldiers. All of them were under Abishai’s command. They marched out from Jerusalem and went after Sheba, the son of Bikri.They arrived at the great rock in Gibeon. Amasa went there to welcome them. Joab was wearing his military clothes. Over them at his waist he had strapped on a belt that held a dagger. As he stepped forward, he secretly took the dagger out.Joab said to Amasa,“ How are you, my friend?” Then Joab reached out his right hand. He took hold of Amasa’s beard to kiss him.Amasa didn’t notice the dagger in Joab’s left hand. Joab stuck it into his stomach. His insides spilled out on the ground. Joab didn’t have to stab him again. Amasa was already dead. Then Joab and his brother Abishai went after Sheba, the son of Bikri.One of Joab’s men stood beside Amasa’s body. He said to the other men,“ Are you pleased with Joab? Are you on David’s side? Then follow Joab!”Amasa’s body lay covered with his blood in the middle of the road. The man saw that all the troops stopped there. He realized that everyone was stopping to look at Amasa’s body. So he dragged it from the road into a field. Then he threw some clothes on top of it.After that happened, everyone continued on with Joab. They went after Sheba, the son of Bikri.Sheba passed through all the territory of the tribes of Israel. He arrived at the city of Abel Beth Maakah. He had gone through the entire area of the Bikrites. They had gathered together and followed him.Joab and all his troops came to Abel Beth Maakah. They surrounded it because Sheba was there. They built a ramp up to the city. It stood against the outer wall. They pounded the wall with huge logs to bring it down.While that was going on, a wise woman called out from the city. She shouted,“ Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here. I want to speak to him.”So Joab went toward her. She asked,“ Are you Joab?”“ I am,” he answered. She said,“ Listen to what I have to say.”“ I’m listening,” he said.She continued,“ Long ago people used to say,‘ Get your answer at Abel.’ And that would settle the matter.We are the most peaceful and faithful people in Israel. You are trying to destroy a city that is like a mother in Israel. Why do you want to swallow up what belongs to the Lord?”“ I would never do anything like that!” Joab said.“ I would never swallow up or destroy what belongs to the Lord!That isn’t what I have in mind at all. There’s a man named Sheba, the son of Bikri, in your city. He’s from the hill country of Ephraim. He’s trying to kill King David. Hand that man over to me. Then I’ll pull my men back from your city.” The woman said to Joab,“ We’ll throw his head down to you from the wall.”Then the woman gave her wise advice to all the people in the city. They cut off the head of Sheba, the son of Bikri. They threw it down to Joab. So he blew his trumpet. Then his men pulled back from the city. Each of them returned to his home. And Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.

So Abram said to Lot,“ Let’s not argue with each other. The people taking care of your herds and those taking care of mine shouldn’t argue with one another either. After all, we’re part of the same family.Isn’t the whole land in front of you? Let’s separate. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right. If you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”

A person’s wisdom makes them patient. They will be honored if they forgive someone who sins against them.

In one day Pekah, the son of Remaliah, killed 120,000 soldiers in Judah. That’s because Judah had deserted the Lord, the God of their people.

But Paul and Barnabas didn’t agree with this. They argued strongly with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed to go up to Jerusalem. Some other believers were chosen to go with them. They were told to ask the apostles and elders about this question.The church sent them on their way. They traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria. There they told how the Gentiles had turned to God. This news made all the believers very glad.When they arrived in Jerusalem, the church welcomed them. The apostles and elders welcomed them too. Then Paul and Barnabas reported everything God had done through them.Some of the believers were Pharisees. They stood up and said,“ The Gentiles must be circumcised. They must obey the law of Moses.”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.”

In those days the number of believers was growing. The Greek Jews complained about the non- Greek Jews. They said that the widows of the Greek Jews were not being taken care of. They weren’t getting their fair share of food each day.So the 12 apostles gathered all the believers together. They said,“ It wouldn’t be right for us to give up teaching God’s word. And we’d have to stop teaching to wait on tables.Brothers and sisters, choose seven of your men. They must be known as men who are wise and full of the Holy Spirit. We will turn this important work over to them.Then we can give our attention to prayer and to teaching God’s word.”This plan pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen. He was full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon and Parmenas were chosen too. The group also chose Nicolas from Antioch. He had accepted the Jewish faith.

Abijah and his troops wounded and killed large numbers of them. In fact, 500,000 of Israel’s capable men lay dead or wounded.

It is better to be patient than to fight. It is better to control your temper than to take a city.

Then Abner said to Joab,“ Let’s have some of the young men get up and fight. Let’s tell them to fight hand to hand in front of us.”“ All right. Let them do it,” Joab said.So the young men stood up and were counted off. There were 12 on the side of Benjamin and Saul’s son Ish- Bosheth. And there were 12 on David’s side.Each man grabbed one of his enemies by the head. Each one stuck his dagger into the other man’s side. And all of them fell down together and died. So that place in Gibeon was named Helkath Hazzurim.The fighting that day was very heavy. Abner and the Israelites lost the battle to David’s men.