²⁷ And Joab said, As God liveth, if thou hadst not spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone away, nor followed every one his brother.

¹⁴ And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men, I pray thee, arise and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.

¹⁴ The beginning of strife is `as' when one letteth out water: Therefore leave off contention, before there is quarrelling.

²⁶ Now therefore, my lord, as Jehovah liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing Jehovah hath withholden thee from bloodguiltiness, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now therefore let thine enemies, and them that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.

² As God liveth, who hath taken away my right, And the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul:

¹ A soft answer turneth away wrath; But a grievous word stirreth up anger.

¹⁸ Every purpose is established by counsel; And by wise guidance make thou war.

⁸ Go not forth hastily to strive, Lest `thou know not' what to do in the end thereof, When thy neighbor hath put thee to shame.

⁷ And thou saidst, I shall be mistress for ever; so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end thereof.

³¹ Or what king, as he goeth to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

³² Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and asketh conditions of peace.