out of here. They twist the Scriptures to suit their own needs.” The young man replied: “No thanks! I have seen enough to know that Jehovah’s witnesses have the truth.”

When Jehovah’s people are courageous and keep trusting in him, he will give the victory: “Any weapon whatever that will be formed against you will have no success.”—Isa. 54:17.

Questions From Readers

● In view of Proverbs 22:6, why is it that children who have been reared by dedicated Christian parents at times depart from the way of Jehovah in which they were taught?—L. G., United States.

Proverbs 22:6 reads: “Train up a boy according to the way for him; even when he grows old he will not turn aside from it.” When those reared in the way of Jehovah depart from it upon growing old, it might be said that more likely than not something was lacking in their rearing. It may be that the parents were not sufficiently conscientious or thorough, not strict enough, or failed to show sufficient love. Then again, it may be that they did not set as good an example as they might have done. So while these seemingly were reared in the way for them because of having Christian parents, such may not actually have been the case.

However, we may not rule out exceptions. So we must conclude that what is meant at Proverbs 22:6 is that the weight of probability is, the chances are, the forces or factors set in motion by proper training are such as to make it most likely that the children will not depart from the right way upon growing old; but not that there might not be exceptions.

On the other hand, it cannot be denied that not all children who have been sadly neglected by their parents have turned out badly. But this is not to say that because of such exceptions no attention need be given to children or that training them in the way for them is futile.

● Please explain Amos 3:14, which reads, in part: “I will also hold an accounting against the altars of Bethel; and the horns of the altar will certainly be cut off and must fall to the earth.”—V. D., United States.

King Jeroboam made two golden calves for his people to worship, placing one at one end of his kingdom and the other at the other end, at Dan and at Bethel. This he did out of fear that his people would fall away to the two-tribe kingdom of Judah if they regularly went to Jerusalem to worship. (1 Ki. 12:26-30) This became known as “the guiltiness of Samaria.” The altars mentioned at Amos 3:14 are those associated with this apostate worship.—Amos 8:14.

The text makes mention of altars, plural, and then altar, singular. Apparently the singular refers to each individual altar, not merely the great altar that Jeroboam had first built at Bethel and that is mentioned at 1 Kings 13:2. The plural refers to the numerous altars, similar to those mentioned at 2 Chronicles 34:5, which, although in the land of Judah, were equally evidence of apostasy. All the altars had horns, a symbol of power; and their being cut off and falling to the earth foretold the destruction of this false worship. In line with this understanding, the Knox; translation renders Amos 3:14 as follows: “I will have a reckoning with the rebellions of Israel, a reckoning with those altars of theirs at Bethel, that shall have the horns of them cut off and hurled to the ground.”

● Why does the New World Translation at Colossians 2:9 state that in Jesus “all the fullness of the divine quality dwells bodily,” where as other translations state that in Jesus dwells the fullness of Deity or the Godhead?—T.B., United States.

At Colossians 2:9 the word in the Greek that the New World Translation renders “divine quality” is theótes, and this is the only use of the word in the Christian Greek Scriptures. The same is true of a similar Greek word, theiótes, which appears only at Romans 1:20, and which the New World Translation there renders “Godship,” as follows: “For his invisible qualities are clearly seen from the world’s creation onward, because they are perceived by the things made, even his eternal power and Godship, so that they are inexcusable.”