He’d been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon. They depended on the king’s country to supply them with food, so they got together and asked for a meeting with him. They gained the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, and through him asked for peace.
Suppose someone has a claim against you and you’re on your way with them to court. Try hard to settle the matter on the way. If you don’t, that person may drag you off to the judge, and the judge may turn you over to the officer, and the officer may throw you into prison.
“Suppose someone has a claim against you and is taking you to court. Settle the matter quickly, while you’re still on the way there together. If you don’t, you may be handed over to the judge, the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.
“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and think about whether he can win if he only has 10,000 soldiers while the other king has 20,000?