You want to humiliate the oppressed, even though the Lord is their shelter.

But their prosperity is not their own doing. The counsel of the wicked is far from me!

The Lord frustrates the decisions of the nations; he nullifies the plans of the peoples.

The Lord’s decisions stand forever; his plans abide throughout the ages.

The king responded to the people harshly. He rejected the advice of the older men

The king responded to the people harshly. He rejected the advice of the older men

Is it good for you to oppress, to despise the work of your hands, while you smile on the schemes of the wicked?

They say, “Let him hurry, let him act quickly, so we can see; let the plan of the Holy One of Israel take shape and come to pass, then we will know it!”

Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Arkite sounds better than the advice of Ahithophel.” Now the Lord had decided to frustrate the sound advice of Ahithophel, so that the Lord could bring disaster on Absalom.

Now David had been told, “Ahithophel has sided with the conspirators who are with Absalom. So David prayed, “Make the advice of Ahithophel foolish, O Lord!”

But Rehoboam rejected their advice and consulted the young advisers who served him, with whom he had grown up.

But Rehoboam rejected their advice and consulted the young advisers who served him, with whom he had grown up.

The Lord said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who plot evil and give wicked advice in this city.

But you will be able to counter the advice of Ahithophel if you go back to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king! Previously I was your father’s servant, and now I will be your servant.’

In those days Ahithophel’s advice was considered as valuable as a prophetic revelation. Both David and Absalom highly regarded the advice of Ahithophel.

The land of Judah will humiliate Egypt. Everyone who hears about Judah will be afraid because of what the Lord who commands armies is planning to do to them.

In this place I will thwart the plans of the people of Judah and Jerusalem. I will deliver them over to the power of their enemies who are seeking to kill them. They will die by the sword at the hands of their enemies. I will make their dead bodies food for the birds and wild beasts to eat.

So listen to what I, the Lord, have planned against Edom, what I intend to do to the people who live in Teman. Their little ones will be dragged off. I will completely destroy their land because of what they have done.

So listen to what I, the Lord, have planned against Babylon, what I intend to do to the people who inhabit the land of Babylonia. Their little ones will be dragged off. I will completely destroy their land because of what they have done.