When David was told that Ahithophel had joined Absalom's rebellion, he prayed, "Please, LORD, turn Ahithophel's advice into nonsense!"

Absalom and all the Israelites said, "Hushai's advice is better than Ahithophel's." The LORD had decided that Ahithophel's good advice would not be followed, so that disaster would come on Absalom.

He upsets the plans of cunning people, and traps the wise in their own schemes, so that nothing they do succeeds;

(SEE 5:12)

The LORD frustrates the purposes of the nations; he keeps them from carrying out their plans.

But his plans endure forever; his purposes last eternally.

Human wisdom, brilliance, insight---they are of no help if the LORD is against you.

Make your plans! But they will never succeed. Talk all you want to! But it is all useless, because God is with us.

I make fools of fortunetellers and frustrate the predictions of astrologers. The words of the wise I refute and show that their wisdom is foolishness.

The will of the Lord alone is always carried out.

Good and evil alike take place at his command.

For what this world considers to be wisdom is nonsense in God's sight. As the scripture says, "God traps the wise in their cleverness";

and another scripture says, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are worthless."

It will be like a man who goes away from home on a trip and leaves his servants in charge, after giving to each one his own work to do and after telling the doorkeeper to keep watch.

Work hard and do not be lazy. Serve the Lord with a heart full of devotion.

Make it your aim to live a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to earn your own living, just as we told you before.