The scripture says, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and set aside the understanding of the scholars."

So then, where does that leave the wise? or the scholars? or the skillful debaters of this world? God has shown that this world's wisdom is foolishness!

Yet I do proclaim a message of wisdom to those who are spiritually mature. But it is not the wisdom that belongs to this world or to the powers that rule this world---powers that are losing their power.

The leaders of the city of Zoan are fools! Egypt's wisest people give stupid advice! How do they dare to tell the king that they are successors to the ancient scholars and kings?

The leaders of Zoan and Memphis are fools. They were supposed to lead the nation, but they have misled it.

So I will startle them with one unexpected blow after another. Those who are wise will turn out to be fools, and all their cleverness will be useless."

They turn everything upside down. Which is more important, the potter or the clay? Can something you have made say, "You didn't make me"? Or can it say, "You don't know what you are doing"?

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.

They know God, but they do not give him the honor that belongs to him, nor do they thank him. Instead, their thoughts have become complete nonsense, and their empty minds are filled with darkness.

They say they are wise, but they are fools;

(SEE 5:12)

In case of war they might join our enemies in order to fight against us, and might escape from the country. We must find some way to keep them from becoming even more numerous."

Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods, because he did this when the Egyptians treated the Israelites with such contempt."

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

Any advice that Ahithophel gave in those days was accepted as though it were the very word of God; both David and Absalom followed it.

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.

When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and went back to his hometown. After putting his affairs in order, he hanged himself. He was buried in the family grave.

So Haman was hanged on the gallows that he had built for Mordecai. Then the king's anger cooled down.

See how wicked people think up evil; they plan trouble and practice deception.

But in the traps they set for others, they themselves get caught.

The heathen have dug a pit and fallen in; they have been caught in their own trap.

The LORD has revealed himself by his righteous judgments, and the wicked are trapped by their own deeds.

May the wicked fall into their own traps while I go by unharmed.