But if thou return to the city, and say unto Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king; {as} I {have been} thy father's servant hitherto, so {will} I now also {be} thy servant: then mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel.

For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God {is} with us.

{There are} many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.

{There is} no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD.

And {one} told David, saying, Ahithophel {is} among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform {their} enterprise. {their enterprise: or, any thing}

And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. {Israel: that is, A prince of God}

Who {is} he {that} saith, and it cometh to pass, {when} the Lord commandeth {it} not?

And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

For he spake, and it was {done}; he commanded, and it stood fast.

And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, {was} as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God: so {was} all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom. {oracle: Heb. word}

And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that {the king} said unto him, Art thou made of the king's counsel? forbear; why shouldest thou be smitten? Then the prophet forbare, and said, I know that God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened unto my counsel. {determined: Heb. counselled}

And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them:

The LORD is known {by} the judgment {which} he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah. {Higgaion: that is, Meditation}

And in very deed for this {cause} have I raised thee up, for to shew {in} thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth. {raised...: Heb. made thee stand}

But Amaziah would not hear; for it {came} of God, that he might deliver them into the hand {of their enemies}, because they sought after the gods of Edom.

But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him: for the LORD thy God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that he might deliver him into thy hand, as {appeareth} this day.

The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. {bringeth: Heb. maketh frustrate}

And {one} told David, saying, Ahithophel {is} among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race {is} not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee. {Destroy...: or, Make them guilty} {by...: or, from their counsels}

And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, {was} as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God: so {was} all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom. {oracle: Heb. word}

But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him.

For thou hast hid their heart from understanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt {them}.

Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. {nor...: Heb. neither let there be anger in your eyes}

And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counsellor, from his city, {even} from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom.

Then said they, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words. {with...: or, for the tongue}

Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

Where {is} the wise? where {is} the scribe? where {is} the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent {men} have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them. {violent: Heb. terrible}

And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards. {fail: Heb. be emptied} {destroy: Heb. swallow up}

And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and {there shall be} a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing {them} to err.

A sword {is} upon the liars; and they shall dote: a sword {is} upon her mighty men; and they shall be dismayed. {liars: or, chief stays: Heb. bars}

And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found {him}, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools.

The steps of his strength shall be straitened, and his own counsel shall cast him down.

And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, {Deal} gently for my sake with the young man, {even} with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.

Arise, O LORD, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me {to} the judgment {that} thou hast commanded.