Then a furious battle broke out, and Abner and the Israelites were defeated by David's men.

Abner called out to Joab, "Do we have to go on fighting forever? Can't you see that in the end there will be nothing but bitterness? We are your relatives. How long will it be before you order your men to stop chasing us?"

"I swear by the living God," Joab answered, "that if you had not spoken, my men would have kept on chasing you until tomorrow morning."

It is foolish to enjoy doing wrong. Intelligent people take pleasure in wisdom.

The start of an argument is like the first break in a dam; stop it before it goes any further.

Get good advice and you will succeed; don't go charging into battle without a plan.

Don't be too quick to go to court about something you have seen. If another witness later proves you wrong, what will you do then?

Someone who tricks someone else and then claims that he was only joking is like a crazy person playing with a deadly weapon.

(SEE 26:18)