Do you listen in on God’s secret council? Do you limit wisdom to yourself?

The Lord’s loyal followers receive his guidance, and he reveals his covenantal demands to them.

All my closest friends detest me; and those whom I love have turned against me.

just as I was in my most productive time, when God’s intimate friendship was experienced in my tent,

Hide me from the plots of evil men, from the crowd of evildoers.

They carefully plot against your people, and make plans to harm the ones you cherish.

for one who goes astray is an abomination to the Lord, but he reveals his intimate counsel to the upright.

The one who goes about slandering others reveals secrets, but the one who is trustworthy conceals a matter.

Plans fail when there is no counsel, but with abundant advisers they are established.

The one who goes about gossiping reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with someone who is always opening his mouth.

When you argue a case with your neighbor, do not reveal the secret of another person,

We would share personal thoughts with each other; in God’s temple we would walk together among the crowd.

a God who is honored in the great angelic assembly, and more awesome than all who surround him?

Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the godly and the congregation.

I did not spend my time in the company of other people, laughing and having a good time. I stayed to myself because I felt obligated to you and because I was filled with anger at what they had done.

But if they had stood in my inner circle, they would have proclaimed my message to my people. They would have caused my people to turn from their wicked ways and stop doing the evil things they are doing.

O my soul, do not come into their council, do not be united to their assembly, my heart, for in their anger they have killed men, and for pleasure they have hamstrung oxen.

Yet which of them has ever stood in the Lord’s inner circle so they could see and hear what he has to say? Which of them have ever paid attention or listened to what he has said?

Certainly the sovereign Lord does nothing without first revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.

I am as full of anger as you are, Lord, I am tired of trying to hold it in.” The Lord answered, “Vent it, then, on the children who play in the street and on the young men who are gathered together. Husbands and wives are to be included, as well as the old and those who are advanced in years.