"He capturesthe wiseby their own shrewdness,And the adviceof the cunningis quicklythwarted.
Now someone toldDavid,saying,"Ahithophelis among the conspiratorswith Absalom."And Davidsaid,"O LORD,I pray,makethe counselof Ahithophelfoolishness."
"But ifyou returnto the city,and sayto Absalom,'I will be your servant,O king;as I have beenyour father'sservantin timepast,so I will nowbe your servant,'then you can thwartthe counselof Ahithophelfor me.
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.
But when it cameto the king'sattention,he commandedby letterthat his wickedschemewhichhe had devisedagainstthe Jews,should returnon his own headand that he and his sonsshould be hangedon the gallows.
"For your guiltteachesyour mouth,And you choosethe languageof the crafty.
"ThereforemenfearHim; He does not regardanywho are wiseof heart."
With the pureYou showYourself pure,And with the crookedYou showYourself astute.
The wickedwill returnto Sheol,[Even] allthe nationswhoforgetGod.
For the deviousare an abominationto the LORD;But He is intimatewith the upright.
"Then the spiritof the Egyptianswill be demoralizedwithinthem; And I will confoundtheir strategy,So that they will resortto idolsand ghostsof the deadAnd to mediumsand spiritists.
Causing the omensof boastersto fail,Makingfoolsout of diviners,Causing wisemento drawbackAnd turningtheir knowledgeinto foolishness,
Then they said,"Comeand let us deviseplansagainstJeremiah.Surelythe lawis not going to be lostto the priest,norcounselto the sage,northe [divine] wordto the prophet!Comeon and let us strikeat him with [our] tongue,and let us givenoheedto anyof his words."
Concerning Edom.Thussaysthe LORDof hosts,"Is therenolongeranywisdomin Teman?Has good counselbeenlostto the prudent?Has their wisdomdecayed?
"Howcan you say,'We are wise,And the lawof the LORDis with us'? But behold,the lyingpenof the scribesHas made[it] into a lie.
"The wisemenare putto shame,They are dismayedand caught;Behold,they have rejectedthe wordof the LORD,And whatkind of wisdomdo they have?
Speak,"Thussaysthe LORD,'The corpsesof menwill falllike dungon the openfield,And like the sheafafterthe reaper,But noonewill gather[them].'"
When the donkeysawthe angelof the LORD,she pressedherself to the walland pressedBalaam'sfootagainstthe wall,so he struckher again.
"He has donemighty deedswith His arm;He has scattered[those who were] proudin the thoughtsof their heart.
For the wisdomof thisworldis foolishnessbeforeGod.For it is written,"[He is] THE ONE WHO CATCHESTHE WISEIN THEIR CRAFTINESS";
