Proverbs 22:3

22:3 A shrewd person ¹  sees danger ²  and hides himself,

but the naive keep right on going ³  and suffer for it. ⁴ 

Matthew 5:25

5:25 Reach agreement ⁵  quickly with your accuser while on the way to court, ⁶  or he ⁷  may hand you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the warden, and you will be thrown into prison.

Luke 12:58-59

12:58 As you are going with your accuser before the magistrate, ⁸  make an effort to settle with him on the way, so that he will not drag you before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, ⁹  and the officer throw you into prison. 12:59 I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the very last cent!” ¹⁰ 

Luke 14:31-32

14:31 Or what king, going out to confront another king in battle, will not sit down ¹¹  first and determine whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose ¹²  the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 14:32 If he cannot succeed, ¹³  he will send a representative ¹⁴  while the other is still a long way off and ask for terms of peace. ¹⁵ 

¹ sn The contrast is between the “shrewd” (prudent) person and the “simpleton.” The shrewd person knows where the dangers and pitfalls are in life and so can avoid them; the naive person is unwary, untrained, and gullible, unable to survive the dangers of the world and blundering into them.

² tn Heb “evil,” a term that is broad enough to include (1) “sin” as well as (2) any form of “danger” (NIV, NCV, NRSV, NLT) or “trouble” (TEV, CEV). The second option is more likely what is meant here: The naive simpleton does not see the danger to be avoided and so suffers for it.

³ tn Heb “go on”; the word “right” is supplied in the translation to clarify the meaning: The naive person, oblivious to impending danger, meets it head on (cf. TEV “will walk right into it”).

⁴ tn The verb עָנַשׁ (’anash) means “to fine” specifically. In the Niphal stem it means “to be fined,” or more generally, “to be punished.” In this line the punishment is the consequence of blundering into trouble – they will pay for it.

⁵ tn Grk “Make friends.”

⁶ tn The words “to court” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

⁷ tn Grk “the accuser.”

⁹ sn The term magistrate (ἄρχων, arcwn) refers to an official who, under the authority of the government, serves as judge in legal cases (see L&N 56.29).

¹⁰ sn The officer (πράκτωρ, praktwr) was a civil official who functioned like a bailiff and was in charge of debtor’s prison. The use of the term, however, does not automatically demand a Hellenistic setting (BDAG 859 s.v.; K. H. Rengstorf, TDNT 8:539; C. Maurer, TDNT 6:642).

¹³ tn Here the English word “cent” is used as opposed to the parallel in Matt 5:26 where “penny” appears, since the Greek word there is different and refers to a different but similar coin.

¹⁷ tn The participle καθίσας (kaqisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

¹⁸ tn On the meaning of this verb see also L&N 55.3, “to meet in battle, to face in battle.”

²¹ tn Grk “And if not.” Here δέ (de) has not been translated; “succeed” is implied and has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

²² tn Grk “a messenger.”

²³ sn This image is slightly different from the former one about the tower (vv. 28-30). The first part of the illustration (sit down first and determine) deals with preparation. The second part of the illustration (ask for terms of peace) has to do with recognizing who is stronger. This could well suggest thinking about what refusing the “stronger one” (God) might mean, and thus constitutes a warning. Achieving peace with God, the more powerful king, is the point of the illustration.