18 A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict,(A)
    but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.(B)

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21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire,
    so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.(A)

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15 A gentle answer(A) turns away wrath,(B)
    but a harsh word stirs up anger.

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Blessed are the peacemakers,(A)
    for they will be called children of God.(B)

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22 An angry person stirs up conflict,
    and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.(A)

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29 Whoever is patient has great understanding,(A)
    but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.(B)

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If a ruler’s anger rises against you,
    do not leave your post;(A)
    calmness can lay great offenses to rest.(B)

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28 A perverse person stirs up conflict,(A)
    and a gossip separates close friends.(B)

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12 Hatred stirs up conflict,
    but love covers over all wrongs.(A)

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Listening and Doing

19 My dear brothers and sisters,(A) take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak(B) and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger(C) does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

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25 The greedy stir up conflict,(A)
    but those who trust in the Lord(B) will prosper.

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14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition(A) in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.(B) 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven(C) but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.(D) 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition,(E) there you find disorder and every evil practice.

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So Abram said to Lot,(A) “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me,(B) or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives.(C) Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”(D)

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The Choosing of the Seven

In those days when the number of disciples was increasing,(A) the Hellenistic Jews[a](B) among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows(C) were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.(D) So the Twelve gathered all the disciples(E) together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God(F) in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters,(G) choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit(H) and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them(I) and will give our attention to prayer(J) and the ministry of the word.”

This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen,(K) a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit;(L) also Philip,(M) Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism.

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 6:1 That is, Jews who had adopted the Greek language and culture

15 Through patience a ruler can be persuaded,(A)
    and a gentle tongue can break a bone.(B)

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43 Then the men of Israel(A) answered the men of Judah, “We have ten shares in the king; so we have a greater claim on David than you have. Why then do you treat us with contempt? Weren’t we the first to speak of bringing back our king?”

But the men of Judah pressed their claims even more forcefully than the men of Israel.

Sheba Rebels Against David

20 Now a troublemaker named Sheba son of Bikri, a Benjamite, happened to be there. He sounded the trumpet and shouted,

“We have no share(B) in David,(C)
    no part in Jesse’s son!(D)
Every man to his tent, Israel!”

24 She fell at his feet and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord,(A) and let me speak to you; hear what your servant has to say. 25 Please pay no attention, my lord, to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name—his name means Fool(B),(C) and folly goes with him. And as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my lord sent. 26 And now, my lord, as surely as the Lord your God lives and as you live, since the Lord has kept you from bloodshed(D) and from avenging(E) yourself with your own hands, may your enemies and all who are intent on harming my lord be like Nabal.(F) 27 And let this gift,(G) which your servant has brought to my lord, be given to the men who follow you.

28 “Please forgive(H) your servant’s presumption. The Lord your God will certainly make a lasting(I) dynasty for my lord, because you fight the Lord’s battles,(J) and no wrongdoing(K) will be found in you as long as you live. 29 Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life,(L) the life of my lord will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the Lord your God, but the lives of your enemies he will hurl(M) away as from the pocket of a sling.(N) 30 When the Lord has fulfilled for my lord every good thing he promised concerning him and has appointed him ruler(O) over Israel, 31 my lord will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself. And when the Lord your God has brought my lord success, remember(P) your servant.”(Q)

32 David said to Abigail, “Praise(R) be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. 33 May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed(S) this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. 34 Otherwise, as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal(T) would have been left alive by daybreak.”

35 Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him and said, “Go home in peace. I have heard your words and granted(U) your request.”

36 When Abigail went to Nabal, he was in the house holding a banquet like that of a king. He was in high(V) spirits and very drunk.(W) So she told(X) him nothing at all until daybreak. 37 Then in the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him all these things, and his heart failed him and he became like a stone.(Y) 38 About ten days later, the Lord struck(Z) Nabal and he died.

39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise be to the Lord, who has upheld my cause against Nabal for treating me with contempt. He has kept his servant from doing wrong and has brought Nabal’s wrongdoing down on his own head.”

Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife. 40 His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, “David has sent us to you to take you to become his wife.”

41 She bowed down with her face to the ground and said, “I am your servant and am ready to serve you and wash the feet of my lord’s servants.” 42 Abigail(AA) quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five female servants, went with David’s messengers and became his wife. 43 David had also married Ahinoam(AB) of Jezreel, and they both were his wives.(AC) 44 But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Paltiel[a](AD) son of Laish, who was from Gallim.(AE)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 25:44 Hebrew Palti, a variant of Paltiel

Zebah and Zalmunna

Now the Ephraimites asked Gideon,(A) “Why have you treated us like this? Why didn’t you call us when you went to fight Midian?(B)(C) And they challenged him vigorously.(D)

But he answered them, “What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren’t the gleanings of Ephraim’s grapes better than the full grape harvest of Abiezer?(E) God gave Oreb and Zeeb,(F) the Midianite leaders, into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you?” At this, their resentment against him subsided.

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