For the wisdomof thisworldis foolishnessbeforeGod.For it is written,"[He is] THE ONE WHO CATCHESTHE WISEIN THEIR CRAFTINESS";
Now someone toldDavid,saying,"Ahithophelis among the conspiratorswith Absalom."And Davidsaid,"O LORD,I pray,makethe counselof Ahithophelfoolishness."
The adviceof Ahithophel,whichhe gavein thosedays,[was] as ifone inquiredof the wordof God;sowas allthe adviceof Ahithophel[regarded] by bothDavidand Absalom.
Then Absalomand allthe menof Israelsaid,"The counselof Hushaithe Architeis betterthanthe counselof Ahithophel."For the LORDhad ordainedto thwartthe goodcounselof Ahithophel,sothat the LORDmight bringcalamityon Absalom.
Now whenAhithophelsawthat his counselwas not followed,he saddled[his] donkeyand aroseand wentto his home,to his city,and sethis housein order,and strangledhimself; thus he diedand was buriedin the graveof his father.
So they hangedHamanon the gallowswhichhe had preparedfor Mordecai,and the king'sangersubsided.
"He capturesthe wiseby their own shrewdness,And the adviceof the cunningis quicklythwarted.
Let the wickedfallinto their own nets,WhileI passby safely.
"Come,let us dealwiselywith them, orelsethey will multiplyand in the eventof war,they will alsojointhemselves to those whohateus, and fightagainst us and departfrom the land."
"NowI knowthat the LORDis greaterthanallthe gods;indeed,it was provenwhenthey dealtproudlyagainstthe people."
The wisdomof the sensibleis to understandhis way,But the foolishnessof foolsis deceit.
Thereis nowisdomand nounderstandingAnd nocounselagainstthe LORD.
Causing the omensof boastersto fail,Makingfoolsout of diviners,Causing wisemento drawbackAnd turningtheir knowledgeinto foolishness,
Yetwe do speakwisdomamongthosewho are mature;a wisdom,however,not of thisagenorof the rulersof thisage,who are passing away;
Nowthese things,brethren,I have figuratively appliedto myselfand Apollosfor your sakes,sothat in us you may learnnot to exceedwhatis written,sothat nooneof you will become arrogantin behalfof oneagainstthe other.
As a result,we are no longerto be children,tossed here and there by wavesand carried aboutby everywindof doctrine,by the trickeryof men,by craftinessin deceitfulscheming;
Thiswisdomis not that which comes downfrom above,but is earthly,natural,demonic.