³¹ And it was told David, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Lord, please ^(A)turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.”

²³ When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and went off home to ^(A)his own city. He ^(B)set his house in order and ^(C)hanged himself, and he died and was buried in the tomb of his father.

¹⁴ And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” ^(A)For the Lord had ordained^[a] to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the Lord might bring harm upon Absalom.

¹⁵ This is not ^(A)the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, ^(B)demonic.

²³ Now in those days the counsel that Ahithophel gave was as if one consulted the word of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel esteemed, ^(A)both by David and by Absalom.

^18 (A)Let no one deceive himself. ^(B)If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. ¹⁹ For ^(C)the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, ^(D)“He catches the wise in their craftiness,” ²⁰ and again, ^(E)“The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”

^20 (A)Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? ^(B)Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

Egypt, Assyria, Israel Blessed

¹⁶ In that day the Egyptians will be ^(I)like women, and ^(J)tremble with fear before the hand that the Lord of hosts shakes over them. ¹⁷ And the land of Judah will become a terror to the Egyptians. Everyone to whom it is mentioned will fear because of the purpose that the Lord of hosts has purposed against them.

^18 (K)In that day there will be ^(L)five cities in the land of Egypt that ^(M)speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord of hosts. One of these will be called the City of Destruction.^[a]

¹⁹ In that day there will be an ^(N)altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a ^(O)pillar to the Lord at its border. ^20 (P)It will be a sign and a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry to the Lord because of oppressors, ^(Q)he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them. ^21 (R)And the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day ^(S)and worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the Lord and perform them. ^22 (T)And the Lord will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the Lord, and he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them.

^23 (U)In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and Assyria will come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria, ^(V)and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians.

²⁴ In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, ^(W)a blessing in the midst of the earth, ²⁵ whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed be Egypt ^(X)my people, and Assyria ^(Y)the work of my hands, and ^(Z)Israel my inheritance.”