Proverbs 17:14
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14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
so stop before the quarrel breaks out.(A)
Proverbs 25:8
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8 do not hastily bring into court,
for[a] what will you do in the end,
when your neighbor puts you to shame?(A)
Footnotes
- 25.8 Cn: Heb or else
Proverbs 20:3
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3 It is honorable to refrain from strife,
but every fool is quick to quarrel.(A)
2 Timothy 2:23-24
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23 Have nothing to do with stupid and senseless controversies; you know that they breed quarrels.(A) 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, patient,(B)
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1 Thessalonians 4:11
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11 to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we directed you,(A)
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Ecclesiastes 7:8-9
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8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning;
the patient in spirit are better than the proud in spirit.(A)
9 Do not be quick to anger,
for anger lodges in the bosom of fools.(B)
Proverbs 15:1
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15 A soft answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.(A)
Romans 12:18
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18 If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.(A)
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Acts 15:2-21
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2 And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to discuss this question with the apostles and the elders.(A) 3 So they were sent on their way by the church, and as they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, they reported the conversion of the gentiles and brought great joy to all the brothers and sisters.(B) 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.(C) 5 But some believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and said, “It is necessary for them to be circumcised and ordered to keep the law of Moses.”
6 The apostles and the elders met together to consider this matter. 7 After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “My brothers,[a] you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that I should be the one through whom the gentiles would hear the message of the good news and become believers.(D) 8 And God, who knows the human heart, testified to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us,(E) 9 and in cleansing their hearts by faith he has made no distinction between them and us.(F) 10 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear?(G) 11 On the contrary, we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”(H)
12 The whole assembly kept silence and listened to Barnabas and Paul as they told of all the signs and wonders that God had done through them among the gentiles.(I) 13 After they finished speaking, James replied, “My brothers,[b] listen to me.(J) 14 Simeon has related how God first looked favorably on the gentiles, to take from among them a people for his name. 15 This agrees with the words of the prophets, as it is written,
16 ‘After this I will return,
and I will rebuild the dwelling of David, which has fallen;
from its ruins I will rebuild it,
and I will set it up,(K)
17 so that all other peoples may seek the Lord—
even all the gentiles over whom my name has been called.
Thus says the Lord, who has been making these things 18 known from long ago.’[c]
19 “Therefore I have reached the decision that we should not trouble those gentiles who are turning to God, 20 but we should write to them to abstain only from things polluted by idols and from sexual immorality and from whatever has been strangled[d] and from blood.(L) 21 For in every city, for generations past, Moses has had those who proclaim him, for he has been read aloud every Sabbath in the synagogues.”(M)
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Acts 6:1-5
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Seven Chosen to Serve
6 Now during those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food.(A) 2 And the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables.[a] 3 Therefore, brothers and sisters, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task,(B) 4 while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word.” 5 What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.(C)
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- 6.2 Or keep accounts
Matthew 5:39-41
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39 But I say to you: Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also,(A) 40 and if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, give your coat as well, 41 and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile.
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Proverbs 29:22
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22 One given to anger stirs up strife,
and the hothead causes much transgression.(A)
Proverbs 26:21
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21 As charcoal is to hot embers and wood to fire,
so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.(A)
Proverbs 19:11
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11 Those with good sense are slow to anger,
and it is their glory to overlook an offense.(A)
Proverbs 17:19
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19 One who loves transgression loves strife;
one who builds a high threshold invites broken bones.(A)
Proverbs 16:32
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32 One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
and one whose temper is controlled than one who captures a city.(A)
Proverbs 14:29
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29 Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding,
but one who has a hasty temper exalts folly.(A)
Proverbs 13:10
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10 By insolence the empty-headed person makes strife,
but wisdom is with those who take advice.(A)
2 Chronicles 28:6
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6 Pekah son of Remaliah killed one hundred twenty thousand in Judah in one day, all of them valiant warriors, because they had abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors.(A)
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2 Chronicles 25:17-24
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Israel Defeats Judah
17 Then King Amaziah of Judah took counsel and sent to King Joash son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu of Israel, saying, “Come, let us look one another in the face.”(A) 18 King Joash of Israel sent word to King Amaziah of Judah, “A thornbush on Lebanon sent to a cedar on Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son for a wife,’ but a wild animal of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thornbush.(B) 19 You say, ‘See, I[a] have defeated Edom,’ and your heart has lifted you up in boastfulness. Now stay at home; why should you provoke trouble so that you fall, you and Judah with you?”(C)
20 But Amaziah would not listen—it was God’s doing, in order to hand them over because they had sought the gods of Edom.(D) 21 So King Joash of Israel went up; he and King Amaziah of Judah faced one another in battle at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 22 Judah was defeated by Israel; everyone fled home. 23 King Joash of Israel captured King Amaziah of Judah son of Joash son of Ahaziah at Beth-shemesh; he brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate, a distance of four hundred cubits.(E) 24 He seized all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God, and Obed-edom with them; he seized also the treasuries of the king’s house, also hostages; then he returned to Samaria.
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- 25.19 Gk ms OL Tg Vg: Heb you
2 Chronicles 13:17
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17 Abijah and his army defeated them with great slaughter; five hundred thousand picked men of Israel fell slain.
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2 Chronicles 10:14-16
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14 he spoke to them in accordance with the advice of the young men, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” 15 So the king did not listen to the people because it was a turn of affairs brought about by God so that the Lord might fulfill his word that he had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.(A)
16 When all Israel saw that the king would not listen to them, the people answered the king,
“What share do we have in David?
We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.
Each of you to your tents, O Israel!
Look now to your own house, O David.”
So all Israel departed to their tents.(B)
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2 Samuel 19:41-20:22
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41 Then all the people of Israel came to the king and said to him, “Why have our kindred the people of Judah stolen you away and brought the king and his household over the Jordan and all David’s men with him?”(A) 42 All the people of Judah answered the people of Israel, “Because the king is near of kin to us. Why then are you angry over this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king’s expense? Or has he given us any gift?”(B) 43 But the people of Israel answered the people of Judah, “We have ten shares in the king, and in David also we have more than you. Why then did you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king?” But the words of the people of Judah were fiercer than the words of the people of Israel.(C)
The Rebellion of Sheba
20 Now a scoundrel named Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjaminite, happened to be there. He sounded the trumpet and cried out,
“We have no portion in David,
no share in the son of Jesse!
Everyone to your tents, O Israel!”(D)
2 So all the people of Israel withdrew from David and followed Sheba son of Bichri, but the people of Judah followed their king steadfastly from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
3 David came to his house at Jerusalem, and the king took the ten concubines whom he had left to look after the house and put them in a house under guard and provided for them but did not go in to them. So they were shut up until the day of their death, living as if in widowhood.(E)
4 Then the king said to Amasa, “Call the men of Judah together to me within three days, and be here yourself.”(F) 5 So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he delayed beyond the set time that had been appointed him. 6 David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom; take your lord’s servants and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities for himself and escape from us.”(G) 7 Joab’s men went out after him, along with the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the warriors; they went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bichri.(H) 8 When they were at the large stone that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Now Joab was wearing a soldier’s garment, and over it was a belt with a sword in its sheath fastened at his waist; as he went forward, it fell out. 9 Joab said to Amasa, “Is it well with you, my brother?” And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.(I) 10 But Amasa did not notice the sword in Joab’s hand; Joab struck him in the belly so that his entrails poured out on the ground, and he died. He did not strike a second blow.
Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bichri.(J) 11 And one of Joab’s men took his stand by Amasa and said, “Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab.” 12 Amasa lay wallowing in his blood on the highway, and the man saw that all the people were stopping. Since he saw that all who came by him were stopping, he carried Amasa from the highway into a field and threw a garment over him. 13 Once he was removed from the highway, all the people went on after Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bichri.
14 Sheba[a] passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Beth-maacah,[b] and all the Bichrites[c] assembled and followed him inside. 15 Joab’s forces[d] came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maacah; they threw up a siege ramp against the city, and it stood against the rampart. Joab’s forces were battering the wall to break it down.(K) 16 Then a wise woman called from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab, ‘Come here, I want to speak to you.’ ”(L) 17 He came near her, and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” He answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Listen to the words of your servant.” He answered, “I am listening.” 18 Then she said, “They used to say in the old days, ‘Let them inquire at Abel,’ and so they would settle a matter. 19 I am one of those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel; you seek to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel; why will you swallow up the heritage of the Lord?”(M) 20 Joab answered, “Far be it from me, far be it, that I should swallow up or destroy! 21 That is not the case! But a man of the hill country of Ephraim called Sheba son of Bichri has lifted up his hand against King David; give him up alone, and I will withdraw from the city.” The woman said to Joab, “His head shall be thrown over the wall to you.”(N) 22 Then the woman went to all the people with her wise plan. And they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri and threw it out to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and they dispersed from the city, and all went to their homes, while Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.(O)
2 Samuel 2:14-17
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14 Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men come forward and have a contest before us.” Joab said, “Let them come forward.” 15 So they came forward and were counted as they passed by, twelve for Benjamin and Ishbaal[a] son of Saul and twelve of the servants of David. 16 Each grasped his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side, so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim,[b] which is at Gibeon. 17 The battle was very fierce that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten by the servants of David.(A)
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Judges 12:1-6
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Intertribal Dissension
12 The men of Ephraim were called to arms, and they crossed to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the Ammonites and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house down over you!”(A) 2 Jephthah said to them, “My people and I were engaged in conflict with the Ammonites who oppressed us[a] severely. But when I called you, you did not deliver me from their hand. 3 When I saw that you would not deliver me, I took my life in my hand and crossed over against the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day, to fight against me?”(B) 4 Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim, and the men of Gilead defeated Ephraim, because they said, “You are fugitives from Ephraim, you Gileadites, in the heart of Ephraim and Manasseh.”[b](C) 5 Then the Gileadites took the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. Whenever one of the fugitives of Ephraim said, “Let me go over,” the men of Gilead would say to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” When he said, “No,”(D) 6 they said to him, “Then say Shibboleth,” and he said, “Sibboleth,” for he could not pronounce it right. Then they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two thousand of the Ephraimites fell at that time.
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