²⁷ Joab said, As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone away, nor followed everyone his brother.

¹⁴ Abner said to Joab, Please let the young men arise and play before us. Joab said, Let them arise.

¹⁴ The beginning of strife is like breaching a dam, Therefore stop contention before quarreling breaks out.

²⁶ Now therefore, my lord, as Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, seeing Yahweh has withheld you from blood guiltiness, and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now therefore let your enemies, and those who seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.

² "As God lives, who has taken away my right, The Almighty, who has made my soul bitter.

¹ A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.

¹⁸ Plans are established by advice; By wise guidance you wage war!

⁸ Don't be hasty in bringing charges to court. What will you do in the end when your neighbor shames you?

⁷ You said, I shall be mistress forever; so that you did not lay these things to your heart, neither did remember the latter end of it.

³¹ Or what king, as he goes to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?

³² Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an envoy, and asks for conditions of peace.