“With God ¹  are wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his. ² 

“Who is this ¹  who darkens counsel ²  with words without knowledge?

Counsel and sound wisdom belong to me; ¹  I possess understanding and might.

The one who winks his eyes ¹  devises perverse things, and ²  one who compresses his lips ³  brings about ⁴  evil.

Listen to advice ¹  and receive discipline, that ²  you may become wise ³  by the end of your life. ⁴ 

Counsel ¹  in a person’s heart ²  is like ³  deep water, ⁴  but an understanding person ⁵  draws it out.

There is no wisdom and there is no understanding, and there is no counsel against ¹  the Lord. ² 

Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give us your advice. What should we do?”

Now ¹  let me give you some advice as to how ²  you can save your life and your son Solomon’s life.

Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted! Issue your orders, but they will not be executed! ¹  For God is with us! ² 

This also comes from the Lord who commands armies, who gives supernatural guidance and imparts great wisdom. ¹ 

Your claim to have a strategy and military strength is just empty talk. ¹  In whom are you trusting that you would dare to rebel against me?

you asked, ¹  ‘Who is this who darkens counsel without knowledge?’ But ²  I have declared without understanding ³  things too wonderful for me to know. ⁴ 

The Lord’s spirit will rest on him ¹  – a spirit that gives extraordinary wisdom, ²  a spirit that provides the ability to execute plans, ³  a spirit that produces absolute loyalty to the Lord. ⁴ 

“Bring a plan, make a decision! ¹  Provide some shade in the middle of the day! ²  Hide the fugitives! Do not betray ³  the one who tries to escape!

Those who try to hide their plans from the Lord are as good as dead, ¹  who do their work in secret and boast, ²  “Who sees us? Who knows what we’re doing?” ³ 

“The rebellious ¹  children are as good as dead,” ²  says the Lord, “those who make plans without consulting me, ³  who form alliances without consulting my Spirit, ⁴  and thereby compound their sin. ⁵ 

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

All of this is because ¹  the Lord who rules over all ²  has said: ‘Cut down the trees around Jerusalem and build up a siege ramp against its walls. ³  This is the city which is to be punished. ⁴  Nothing but oppression happens in it. ⁵ 

The Lord who rules over all ¹  spoke about Edom. ²  “Is wisdom no longer to be found in Teman? ³  Can Edom’s counselors not give her any good advice? ⁴  Has all of their wisdom turned bad? ⁵