The young men who had grown up with him gave their answer. They replied,“ The people have said to you,‘ Your father put a heavy load on our shoulders. Make it lighter.’ Now tell them,‘ My little finger is stronger than my father’s legs.

那同他长大的少年人说：“这民对王说：‘你父亲使我们负重轭，求你使我们轻松些’；王要对他们如此说：‘我的小拇指比我父亲的腰还粗；

那些与他一同长大的年轻人对他说：“这些百姓对王说：‘你父亲使我们负重轭，求你给我们减轻一些。’王要对他们如此说：‘我的小指头比我父亲的腰还粗呢！

那些与他一同长大的年轻人对他说：“这些百姓对王说：‘你父亲使我们负重轭，求你给我们减轻一些。’王要对他们如此说：‘我的小指头比我父亲的腰还粗呢！

他们说：“百姓说你父亲使他们负担沉重，请求你减轻他们的负担。你可以这样回复他们，‘我的小指头比我父亲的腰还粗。

那些同他一起长大的年轻人对他说：“这人民对王说：‘你父亲使我们所负的轭甚重，现在求你减轻些吧。’王要这样对他们说：‘我的小拇指比我父亲的腰还粗呢。

那同他長大的少年人說：「這民對王說：『你父親使我們負重軛，求你使我們輕鬆些』；王要對他們如此說：『我的小拇指比我父親的腰還粗；

那些與他一同長大的年輕人對他說：「這些百姓對王說：『你父親使我們負重軛，求你給我們減輕一些。』王要對他們如此說：『我的小指頭比我父親的腰還粗呢！

那些與他一同長大的年輕人對他說：「這些百姓對王說：『你父親使我們負重軛，求你給我們減輕一些。』王要對他們如此說：『我的小指頭比我父親的腰還粗呢！

他們說：「百姓說你父親使他們負擔沉重，請求你減輕他們的負擔。你可以這樣回覆他們，『我的小指頭比我父親的腰還粗。

那些同他一起長大的年輕人對他說：“這人民對王說：‘你父親使我們所負的軛甚重，現在求你減輕些吧。’王要這樣對他們說：‘我的小拇指比我父親的腰還粗呢。

那些跟他一齊長大的少年人對他說：『這些人對王說：「你父親使我們的軛很重，你呢，你使那軛輕鬆些吧」：王要對他們這麼說：「我的小拇指比我父親的腰還粗呢。

偕彼同長之少者曰、斯民謂爾云、爾父使我負重軛、求為我輕之、可答之曰、我之小指、巨於我父之腰、

對曰、斯民曾言、爾父使眾負重軛、請爾輕之、爾則應之曰、我之小指、較父之身尤巨。

少者曰、斯民告王云、爾父使我負重軛、求為我輕之、王則如斯對之曰、我之小指、較父之腰尤大、

The young men who had grown up with him replied,“ The people have said to you,‘ Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter.’ Now tell them,‘ My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist.

And the young men who had grown up with him said to him,“ Thus shall you speak to the people who said to you,‘ Your father made our yoke heavy, but you lighten it for us’; thus shall you say to them,‘ My little finger is thicker than my father’s thighs.

The young men replied,“ This is what you should tell those complainers who want a lighter burden:‘ My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist!

Then the young men who had grown up with him told him,“ This is what you should say to the people who said to you,‘ Your father made our yoke heavy, but you, make it lighter on us!’ This is what you should say to them:‘ My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist!

The young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying,“ This is what you should say to the people who spoke to you, saying:‘ Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter for us!’ You should speak this way to them:‘ My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist!

Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying,“ Thus you should speak to the people who have spoken to you, saying,‘ Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us’— thus you shall say to them:‘ My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s waist!

And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou say unto the people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins.

Then the young men who had grown up with him told him,“ This is what you should say to the people who said to you,‘ Your father made our yoke heavy, but you, make it lighter on us!’ This is what you should say to them:‘ My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins.

And the young men that were brought up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou answer the people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou[ it] somewhat lighter for us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little[ finger] shall be thicker than my father’s loins.

The young advisers with whom Rehoboam had grown up said to him,“ Say this to these people who have said to you,‘ Your father made us work hard, but now lighten our burden’– say this to them:‘ I am a lot harsher than my father!

The young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying,“ Thus you shall tell the people who spoke to you, saying,‘ Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it lighter on us;’ thus you shall say to them,‘ My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist.

Wise people store up knowledge. But the mouths of foolish people destroy them.

The officials of the city of Zoan are very foolish. Pharaoh’s wise men give advice that doesn’t make any sense. How can they dare to say to Pharaoh,“ We’re among the wise men”? How can they say to him,“ We’re like the advisers to the kings of long ago”?Pharaoh, where are your wise men now? Let them tell you what the Lord who rules over all has planned against Egypt.The officials of Zoan have become foolish. The leaders of Memphis have been lied to. The most important leaders in Egypt have led its people astray.

Wise people act with knowledge. But foolish people show how foolish they are.

What foolish people say leads to arguing. They are just asking for a beating.The words of foolish people drag them down. They are trapped by what they say.

The young men who had grown up with him gave their answer. They replied,“ These people have said to you,‘ Your father put a heavy load on our shoulders. Make it lighter.’ Now tell them,‘ My little finger is stronger than my father’s legs.My father put a heavy load on your shoulders. But I’ll make it even heavier. My father beat you with whips. But I’ll beat you with bigger whips.’ ”

Pride brings a person low. But those whose spirits are low will be honored.

People who always want more stir up conflict. But those who trust in the Lord will succeed.

No wisdom, wise saying or plan can succeed against the Lord.

Hushai replied to Absalom,“ The advice Ahithophel has given you isn’t good this time.You know your father and his men. They are fighters. They are as strong as a wild bear whose cubs have been stolen from her. Besides, your father really knows how to fight. He won’t spend the night with his troops.In fact, he’s probably hiding in a cave or some other place right now. Suppose he attacks your troops first. When people hear about it, they’ll say,‘ Many of the troops who followed Absalom have been killed.’Then the hearts of your soldiers will melt away in fear. Even those as brave as a lion will be terrified. That’s because everyone in Israel knows that your father is a fighter. They know that those with him are brave.“ So here’s what I suggest. Bring together all the men of Israel from the town of Dan all the way to Beersheba. They are as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. You yourself should lead them into battle.Then we’ll attack David no matter where we find him. As dew completely covers the ground, we’ll completely overpower his entire army. We won’t leave him or any of his men alive.He might try to get away by going into a city. If he does, all of us will bring ropes to that city. We’ll drag the whole city down into the valley. Not even a pebble of that city will be left.”

A wise person has respect for the Lord and avoids evil. But a foolish person has a bad temper and yet feels secure.