¹⁴ And Abner saith unto Joab, `Let the youths rise, I pray thee, and they play before us;' and Joab saith, `Let them rise.'

¹⁷ and the battle is very hard on that day, and Abner is smitten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David.

²⁶ and Abner calleth unto Joab, and saith, `For ever doth the sword consume? hast thou not known that it is bitterness in the latter end? and till when dost thou not say to the people to turn back from after their brethren?'

²⁷ And Joab saith, `God liveth! for unless thou hadst spoken, surely then from the morning had the people gone up each from after his brother.'

²³ To execute inventions `is' as play to a fool, And wisdom to a man of understanding.

¹⁴ The beginning of contention `is' a letting out of waters, And before it is meddled with leave the strife.

¹⁸ Purposes by counsel thou dost establish, And with plans make thou war.

⁸ Go not forth to strive, haste, turn, What dost thou in its latter end, When thy neighbour causeth thee to blush?

¹⁸ As `one' pretending to be feeble, Who is casting sparks, arrows, and death,

¹⁹ So hath a man deceived his neighbour, And hath said, `Am not I playing?'