³¹ Or what king, going to war with another king, will not first take thought if he will be strong enough, with ten thousand men, to keep off him who comes against him with twenty thousand?

¹⁸ Every purpose is put into effect by wise help: and by wise guiding make war.

¹¹ And the king of Israel said in answer, Say to him, The time for loud talk is not when a man is putting on his arms, but when he is taking them off.

²⁰ You say you have a design, and strength for war, but these are only words. Now to whom are you looking for support, that you have gone against my authority?

²¹ See, now, you are basing your hope on that broken rod of Egypt, which will go through a man's hand if he makes use of it for a support; for so is Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to all who put their faith in him.

²² And if you say to me, Our hope is in the Lord our God: is it not he, whose high places and altars Hezekiah has taken away, saying to Judah and Jerusalem that worship may only be given before this altar in Jerusalem?

⁸ Do not be quick to go to law about what you have seen, for what will you do in the end, when your neighbour has put you to shame?