22 One who is wise can go up against the city of the mighty(A)
    and pull down the stronghold in which they trust.

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19 Wisdom(A) makes one wise person more powerful(B)
    than ten rulers in a city.

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Saying 22

The wise prevail through great power,
    and those who have knowledge muster their strength.

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Wisdom Better Than Folly

13 I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom(A) that greatly impressed me: 14 There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siege works against it. 15 Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man.(B) 16 So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.(C)

17 The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded
    than the shouts of a ruler of fools.
18 Wisdom(D) is better than weapons of war,
    but one sinner destroys much good.

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16 a wise woman(A) called from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here so I can speak to him.” 17 He went toward her, and she asked, “Are you Joab?”

“I am,” he answered.

She said, “Listen to what your servant has to say.”

“I’m listening,” he said.

18 She continued, “Long ago they used to say, ‘Get your answer at Abel,’ and that settled it. 19 We are the peaceful(B) and faithful in Israel. You are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why do you want to swallow up the Lord’s inheritance?”(C)

20 “Far be it from me!” Joab replied, “Far be it from me to swallow up or destroy! 21 That is not the case. A man named Sheba son of Bikri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Hand over this one man, and I’ll withdraw from the city.”

The woman said to Joab, “His head(D) will be thrown to you from the wall.”

22 Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice,(E) and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bikri and threw it to Joab. So he sounded the trumpet, and his men dispersed from the city, each returning to his home. And Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.

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David Conquers Jerusalem(A)(B)

The king and his men marched to Jerusalem(C) to attack the Jebusites,(D) who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, “You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off.” They thought, “David cannot get in here.” Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion(E)—which is the City of David.(F)

On that day David had said, “Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaft(G) to reach those ‘lame and blind’(H) who are David’s enemies.[a]” That is why they say, “The ‘blind and lame’ will not enter the palace.”

David then took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built up the area around it, from the terraces[b](I) inward.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 5:8 Or are hated by David
  2. 2 Samuel 5:9 Or the Millo

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