The wisest of her ladies ¹  answer; indeed she even thinks to herself,

The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; ¹  Pharaoh’s wise advisers give stupid advice. How dare you say to Pharaoh, “I am one of the sages, one well-versed in the writings of the ancient kings?” ² 

There are four things on earth that are small, ¹  but they are exceedingly wise: ² 

“So now Pharaoh should look ¹  for a wise and discerning man ²  and give him authority ³  over all the land of Egypt.

“Is it to God that a strong man is of benefit? Is it to him that even a wise man is profitable? ¹ 

Every wise woman ¹  builds ²  her household, ³  but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.

Do not speak in the ears of a fool, ¹  for he will despise the wisdom of your words. ² 

The people of those nations ¹  are both stupid and foolish. Instruction from a wooden idol is worthless! ² 

So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Because God has enabled you to know all this, there is no one as wise and discerning ¹  as you are!

For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, ¹  and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. ² 

then I discerned all that God has done: ¹  No one really comprehends what happens ²  on earth. ³  Despite all human ⁴  efforts to discover it, no one can ever grasp ⁵  it. ⁶  Even if ⁷  a wise person claimed ⁸  that he understood, he would not really comprehend ⁹  it.

Again, ¹  I observed this on the earth: ²  the race is not always ³  won by the swiftest, the battle is not always won by the strongest; prosperity ⁴  does not always belong to those who are the wisest, wealth does not always belong to those who are the most discerning, nor does success ⁵  always come to those with the most knowledge – for time and chance may overcome ⁶  them all.

“This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. Now you, Belteshazzar, declare its ¹  interpretation, for none of the wise men in ²  my kingdom are able to make known to me the interpretation. But you can do so, for a spirit of the holy gods is in you.”