And Dawiḏ was informed, saying, “Aḥithophel is among the conspirators with Aḇshalom.” And Dawiḏ said, “O יהוה, I pray You, make the counsel of Aḥithophel foolish!”
Now the advice Aḥithophel gave in those days was as if one had inquired at the word of Elohim. So was all the advice of Aḥithophel both to Dawiḏ and to Aḇshalom.
And Aḥithophel saw that his advice was not followed, so he saddled his donkey, and rose up and went home to his house, to his city. Then he gave command to his house, and hanged himself, and died. And he was buried in his father’s burial-site.
But the battle increased that day, and the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening, and he died at the time of the going down of the sun.
“And the spirit of Mitsrayim shall vanish within them, and I destroy their counsel. And they shall seek the idols and the mutterers, the mediums and the sorcerers.
“Therefore, see, I am again doing a marvellous work among this people, a marvellous work and a wonder. And the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their clever men shall be hidden.”
Concerning Eḏom: Thus said יהוה of hosts, “Is there no more wisdom in Tĕman? Has counsel been lost to those with understanding? Has their wisdom vanished?
“And I shall make her rulers drunk, and her wise men, her governors, and her deputies, and her mighty men. And they shall sleep a lasting sleep, and not awake,” declares the Sovereign, whose Name is יהוה of hosts.
And in any word of wisdom and understanding about which the sovereign examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians, the astrologers, who were in all his reign.
So the magicians, the astrologers, the Kasdim, and the diviners came in, and I related the dream to them, but its interpretation they did not make known to me.
The days of punishment have come, the days of retribution have come. Yisra’ĕl knows! The prophet is a fool, the ‘man of the Spirit’ is mad, because of the greatness of your crookedness, and great is the enmity.
For the household idols spoke emptiness, the diviners saw falsehood, and relate dreams of deceit, they comfort in vain. Therefore they have wandered about like sheep. They are afflicted, for there is no shepherd.
“For there is no sorcery against Ya‛aqoḇ, nor is there any divination against Yisra’ĕl. Now it is said to Ya‛aqoḇ and to Yisra’ĕl, ‘What has Ěl done!’