<p class="poetry">An honorable man makes honorable plans;p> <p class="poetry">his honorable character gives him security.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">From you, O Nineveh,<n id="1" /> one has marched forth who plots evil against the <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">a wicked military strategist.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Hushai replied to Absalom, &#8220;Ahithophel&#8217;s advice is not sound this time.&#8221;<n id="1" />

Syria has plotted with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah to bring about your demise.<n id="1" />

<p class="poetry">Indeed,<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies has a plan,p> <p class="poetry">and who can possibly frustrate it?p> <p class="poetry">His hand is ready to strike,p> <p class="poetry">and who can possibly stop it?<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Who planned this for royal Tyre,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">whose merchants are princes,p> <p class="poetry">whose traders are the dignitaries<n id="2" /> of the earth?p>

<p class="poetry">But where, oh where, are your wise men?<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Let them tell you, let them find outp> <p class="poetry">what the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies has planned for Egypt.p>

<p class="poetry">A deceiver&#8217;s methods are evil;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">he dreams up evil plans<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">to ruin the poor with lies,p> <p class="poetry">even when the needy are in the right.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="bodytext">In those days Ahithophel&#8217;s advice was considered as valuable as a prophetic revelation.<n id="1" /> Both David and Absalom highly regarded the advice of Ahithophel.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Then Hushai reported to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, &#8220;Here is what Ahithophel has advised Absalom and the leaders<n id="1" /> of Israel to do, and here is what I have advised.

<p class="bodytext">After the men had left, Ahimaaz and Jonathan<n id="1" /> climbed out of the well. Then they left and informed King David. They advised David, &#8220;Get up and cross the stream<n id="2" /> quickly, for Ahithophel has devised a plan to catch you.&#8221;<n id="3" />

While he was speaking, Amaziah<n id="1" /> said to him, &#8220;Did we appoint you to be a royal counselor? Stop prophesying or else you will be killed!&#8221;<n id="2" /> So the prophet stopped, but added, &#8220;I know that the <sc>Lordsc> has decided<n id="3" /> to destroy you, because you have done this thing and refused to listen to my advice.&#8221;p>

<p class="poetry">So listen to what I, the <sc>Lordsc>, have planned against Edom,p> <p class="poetry">what I intend to do to<n id="1" /> the people who live in Teman.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Their little ones will be dragged off.p> <p class="poetry">I will completely destroy their land because of what they have done.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> says,<n id="1" /> &#8220;Flee quickly, you who live in Hazor.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Take up refuge in remote places.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">For King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has laid out plans to attack you.p> <p class="poetry">He has formed his strategy on how to defeat you.&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">So listen to what I, the <sc>Lordsc>, have planned against Babylon,p> <p class="poetry">what I intend to do to the people who inhabit the land of Babylonia.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Their little ones will be dragged off.p> <p class="poetry">I will completely destroy their land because of what they have done.p>

<p class="poetry">My people, recall how King Balak of Moab planned to harm you,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">how Balaam son of Beor responded to him.p> <p class="poetry">Recall how you journeyed from Shittim to Gilgal,p> <p class="poetry">so you might acknowledge that the <sc>Lordsc> has treated you fairly.&#8221;<n id="2" />p>