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.

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：‘我的小拇指头比我父亲的腰还粗。

那些与他一同长大的年轻人对他说：“这百姓对王说：‘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：“民众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。

那些与他一同长大的年轻人回答他：“这民对王说：‘你父亲加重我们的重担，现在求你减轻我们的重担。’你要这样回答他们：‘我的小指头比我父亲的腰还粗！

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：『我的小拇指頭比我父親的腰還粗。

那些與他一同長大的年輕人對他說：「這百姓對王說：『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：「民眾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。

那些與他一同長大的年輕人回答他：“這民對王說：‘你父親加重我們的重擔，現在求你減輕我們的重擔。’你要這樣回答他們：‘我的小指頭比我父親的腰還粗！

那些跟他一齊長大的少年人對他說：『這人民對王說：「你父親使我們負的軛很重，你呢，你使我們輕鬆些吧」：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。

偕羅波安同長之少者曰、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,“ These 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 this 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!

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

And the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying,“ This is what you should say to this people who spoke to you, saying:‘ Your father made our yoke heavy, now 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 this 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 this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou speak 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 these people who said to you,‘ Your father made our yoke heavy, but you, make it lighter on us!’ This is what you should tell them:‘ My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins!

And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this 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] 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 said to him,“ Tell these people who spoke to you, saying,‘ Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it lighter to us;’ tell them,‘ My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist.

I was angry with my people. I treated them as if they did not belong to me. I handed them over to you. And you did not show them any pity. You even placed heavy loads on their old people.

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

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.

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

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

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.”

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.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.’ ”