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Proverbs 15:1
A gentle answer turns anger away. But mean words stir up anger.
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Ecclesiastes 10:4
Suppose a ruler gets very angry with you. If he does, don’t quit your job in the palace. Being calm can overcome what you have done against him.
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Proverbs 16:14
An angry king can order your death. But a wise person will try to calm him down.
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1 Samuel 25 24-1 Samuel 25 44
She fell at his feet. She said,“ Pardon your servant, sir. Please let me speak to you. Listen to what I’m saying. Let me take the blame myself.Please don’t pay any attention to that evil man Nabal. His name means Foolish Person. And that’s exactly what he is. He’s always doing foolish things. I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to see the men you sent.Sir, the Lord has kept you from killing Nabal and his men. He has kept you from using your own hands to get even. So may what’s about to happen to Nabal happen to all your enemies. May it happen to everyone who wants to harm you. And may it happen just as surely as the Lord your God and you are alive.I’ve brought a gift for you. Give it to the men who follow you.“ Please forgive me if I shouldn’t have done that. The Lord your God will certainly give you and your family line a kingdom that will last. That’s because you fight the Lord’ s battles. You won’t do anything wrong as long as you live.Someone may chase you and try to kill you. But the Lord your God will keep your life safe like a treasure hidden in a bag. And he’ll destroy your enemies. Their lives will be thrown away, just as a stone is thrown from a sling.The Lord will do for you every good thing he promised to do. He’ll appoint you ruler over Israel.When that happens, you won’t have this heavy load on your mind. You won’t have to worry about how you killed people without any reason. You won’t have to worry about how you got even. The Lord your God will give you success. When that happens, please remember me.”David said to Abigail,“ Give praise to the Lord. He is the God of Israel. He has sent you today to find me.May the Lord bless you for what you have done. You have shown a lot of good sense. You have kept me from killing Nabal and his men this day. You have kept me from using my own hands to get even.It’s a good thing you came quickly to meet me. If you hadn’t come, not one of Nabal’s men would have been left alive by sunrise. And that’s just as sure as the Lord, the God of Israel, is alive. He has kept me from harming you.”Then David accepted from her what she had brought him. He said,“ Go home in peace. I’ve heard your words. I’ll do what you have asked.”Abigail went back to Nabal. He was having a dinner party in the house. It was the kind of dinner a king would have. He had been drinking too much wine. He was very drunk. So she didn’t tell him anything at all until sunrise.The next morning Nabal wasn’t drunk anymore. Then his wife told him everything. When she did, his heart grew weak. He became like a stone.About ten days later, the Lord struck Nabal down. And he died.David heard that Nabal was dead. So he said,“ Give praise to the Lord. Nabal was rude to me. But the Lord stood up for me. He has kept me from doing something wrong. He has paid Nabal back for the wrong things he did.” Then David sent a message to Abigail. He asked her to become his wife.His servants went to Carmel. They said to Abigail,“ David has sent us to you. He wants you to come back with us and become his wife.”Abigail bowed down with her face toward the ground. She said,“ I am your servant. I’m ready to serve him. I’m ready to wash the feet of his servants.”Abigail quickly got on a donkey and went with David’s messengers. Her five female servants went with her. She became David’s wife.David had also married Ahinoam from Jezreel. Both of them became his wives.But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s first wife, to Paltiel. Paltiel was from Gallim. He was the son of Laish.
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1 Samuel 25 14
One of the servants warned Abigail, Nabal’s wife. He said,“ David sent some messengers from the desert to give his greetings to our master. But Nabal shouted at them and was rude to them.
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Genesis 32:4-21
Jacob told the messengers what to do. He said,“ Here’s what you must tell my master Esau.‘ Your servant Jacob says,“ I’ve been staying with Laban. I’ve remained there until now.I have cattle and donkeys and sheep and goats. I also have male and female servants. Now I’m sending this message to you. I hope I can please you.” ’ ”The messengers came back to Jacob. They said,“ We went to your brother Esau. He’s coming now to meet you. He has 400 men with him.”Jacob was very worried and afraid. So he separated the people with him into two groups. He also separated the flocks and herds and camels.He thought,“ Esau might come and attack one group. If he does, the group that’s left can escape.”Then Jacob prayed,“ You are the God of my grandfather Abraham. You are the God of my father Isaac. Lord, you are the one who said to me,‘ Go back to your country and your relatives. Then I will give you success.’You have been very kind and faithful to me. But I’m not worthy of any of this. When I crossed this Jordan River, all I had was my walking stick. But now I’ve become two camps.Please save me from the hand of my brother Esau. I’m afraid he’ll come and attack me and the mothers with their children.But you have said,‘ I will surely give you success. I will make your children as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. People will not be able to count them.’ ”Jacob spent the night there. He chose a gift for his brother Esau from what he had with him.He chose 200 female goats and 20 male goats. He chose 200 female sheep and 20 male sheep.He chose 30 female camels with their little ones. He chose 40 cows and ten bulls. And he chose 20 female donkeys and ten male donkeys.He put each herd by itself. Then he put his servants in charge of them. He said to his servants,“ Go on ahead of me. Keep some space between the herds.”Jacob spoke to his servant who was leading the way. He said,“ My brother Esau will meet you. He’ll ask,‘ Who is your master? Where are you going? And who owns all these animals in front of you?’Then say to Esau,‘ They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift to you from him. And Jacob is coming behind us.’ ”He also spoke to the second and third servants. He told them and all the others who followed the herds what to do. He said,“ Say the same thing to Esau when you meet him.Make sure you say,‘ Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.’ ” Jacob was thinking,“ I’ll make peace with him with these gifts I’m sending on ahead. When I see him later, maybe he’ll welcome me.”So Jacob’s gifts went on ahead of him. But he himself spent the night in the camp.
