The Lord will also subject you to madness, blindness, and confusion of mind. ¹ 

At the beginning his words ¹  are foolish and at the end ²  his talk ³  is wicked madness, ⁴ 

yet was rebuked ¹  for his own transgression (a dumb donkey, ²  speaking with a human voice, ³  restrained the prophet’s madness). ⁴ 

So I decided ¹  to discern the benefit of ²  wisdom and knowledge over ³  foolish behavior and ideas; ⁴  however, I concluded ⁵  that even ⁶  this endeavor ⁷  is like ⁸  trying to chase the wind! ⁹ 

I tried ¹  to understand, examine, and comprehend ²  the role of ³  wisdom in the scheme of things, ⁴  and to understand the stupidity of wickedness ⁵  and the insanity of folly. ⁶ 

Next, I decided to consider ¹  wisdom, as well as foolish behavior and ideas. ²  For what more can the king’s successor do than what the king ³  has already done?

I said of partying, ¹  “It is folly,” and of self-indulgent pleasure, ²  “It accomplishes nothing!” ³ 

In that day,” says the Lord, “I will strike every horse with confusion and its rider with madness. I will pay close attention to the house of Judah, but will strike all the horses ¹  of the nations ²  with blindness.

This is the unfortunate fact ¹  about everything that happens on earth: ²  the same fate awaits ³  everyone. In addition to this, the hearts of all people ⁴  are full of evil, and there is folly in their hearts during their lives – then they die. ⁵ 

He ¹  leads ²  counselors away stripped ³  and makes judges ⁴  into fools. ⁵ 

Surely oppression ¹  can turn a wise person into a fool; ²  likewise, ³  a bribe corrupts ⁴  the heart. ⁵ 

But these words seemed like pure nonsense ¹  to them, and they did not believe them.

Written by David, when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, causing the king to send him away. ²  I will praise ³  the Lord at all times; my mouth will continually praise him. ⁴ 

But they were filled with mindless rage ¹  and began debating with one another what they would do ²  to Jesus.

He altered his behavior in their presence. ¹  Since he was in their power, ²  he pretended to be insane, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting his saliva run down his beard.

The watchman reported, “He reached them, but hasn’t started back. The one who drives the lead chariot drives like Jehu son of Nimshi; ¹  he drives recklessly.”