<p class="poetry">&#8220;With God<n id="1" /> are wisdom and power;p> <p class="poetry">counsel and understanding are his.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Who is this<n id="1" /> who darkens counsel<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">with words without knowledge?p>

<p class="poetry">Counsel and sound wisdom belong to me;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I possess understanding and might.p>

<p class="poetry">The one who winks his eyes<n id="1" /> devises perverse things,p> <p class="poetry">and<n id="2" /> one who compresses his lips<n id="3" /> brings about<n id="4" /> evil.p>

<p class="poetry">Listen to advice<n id="1" /> and receive discipline,p> <p class="poetry">that<n id="2" /> you may become wise<n id="3" /> by the end of your life.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Counsel<n id="1" /> in a person&#8217;s heart<n id="2" /> is like<n id="3" /> deep water,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">but an understanding person<n id="5" /> draws it out.p>

<p class="poetry">There is no wisdom and there is no understanding,p> <p class="poetry">and there is no counsel against<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, &#8220;Give us your advice. What should we do?&#8221;

Now<n id="1" /> let me give you some advice as to how<n id="2" /> you can save your life and your son Solomon&#8217;s life.

<p class="poetry">Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted!p> <p class="poetry">Issue your orders, but they will not be executed!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">For God is with us!<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">This also comes from the <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies,p> <p class="poetry">who gives supernatural guidance and imparts great wisdom.<n id="1" />p>

Your claim to have a strategy and military strength is just empty talk.<n id="1" /> In whom are you trusting that you would dare to rebel against me?

<p class="poetry">you asked,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Who is this who darkens counselp> <p class="poetry">without knowledge?&#8217;p> <p class="poetry">But<n id="2" /> I have declared without understanding<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">things too wonderful for me to know.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s spirit will rest on him<n id="1" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">a spirit that gives extraordinary wisdom,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">a spirit that provides the ability to execute plans,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">a spirit that produces absolute loyalty to the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Bring a plan, make a decision!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Provide some shade in the middle of the day!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Hide the fugitives! Do not betray<n id="3" /> the one who tries to escape!p>

<p class="poetry">Those who try to hide their plans from the <sc>Lordsc> are as good as dead,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">who do their work in secret and boast,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Who sees us? Who knows what we&#8217;re doing?&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;The rebellious<n id="1" /> children are as good as dead,&#8221;<n id="2" /> says the <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;those who make plans without consulting me,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">who form alliances without consulting my Spirit,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">and thereby compound their sin.<n id="5" />p>

Your claim to have a strategy and military strength is just empty talk.<n id="1" /> In whom are you trusting, that you would dare to rebel against me?

<p class="poetry">All of this is because<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all<n id="2" /> has said:p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Cut down the trees around Jerusalemp> <p class="poetry">and build up a siege ramp against its walls.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">This is the city which is to be punished.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Nothing but oppression happens in it.<n id="5" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all<n id="1" /> spoke about Edom.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Is wisdom no longer to be found in Teman?<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Can Edom&#8217;s counselors not give her any good advice?<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Has all of their wisdom turned bad?<n id="5" />p>