American Standard Version of 1901
Versliste
He that pleadeth his cause first seemeth just;But his neighbor cometh and searcheth him out.
The lot causeth contentions to cease,And parteth between the mighty.
A brother {Or, injured}offended is harder to be won than a strong city;And such contentions are like the bars of a castle.
And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his brother, and the sojourner that is with him.
The lot is cast into the lap;But the whole disposing thereof is of Jehovah.
Dare any of you, having a matter against {Greek: the other. See Romans 13:8.}his neighbor, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?
Or know ye not that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world is judged by you, are ye unworthy {Greek: of the smallest tribunals.}to judge the smallest matters?
Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more, things that pertain to this life?
If then ye have {Greek: tribunals pertaining to.}to judge things pertaining to this life, {Or, set them…church}do ye set them to judge who are of no account in the church?
I say this to move you to shame. {Or, Is it so, that there cannot &c.}What, cannot there be found among you one wise man who shall be able to decide between his brethren,
but brother goeth to law with brother, and that before unbelievers?
Nay, already it is altogether {Or, a loss to you}a defect in you, that ye have lawsuits one with another. Why not rather take wrong? why not rather be defrauded?
Nay, but ye yourselves do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.
A man's belly shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth;With the increase of his lips shall he be satisfied.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue;And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer each one.