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.'

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

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

²⁶ and now, my lord, Jehovah liveth, and thy soul liveth, in that Jehovah hath withheld thee from coming in with blood, and to save thy hand to thee -- now let thine enemies be as Nabal, even those seeking evil unto my lord.

² God liveth! He turned aside my judgment, And the Mighty -- He made my soul bitter.

¹ A soft answer turneth back fury, And a grievous word raiseth up anger.

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?

⁷ And thou sayest, `To the age I am mistress,' While thou hast not laid these things to thy heart, Thou hast not remembered the latter end of it.

³¹ `Or what king going on to engage with another king in war, doth not, having sat down, first consult if he be able with ten thousand to meet him who with twenty thousand is coming against him?

³² and if not so -- he being yet a long way off -- having sent an embassy, he doth ask the things for peace.