Advancement Is Meaningless

¹³ Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning.

¹⁶ While he was still speaking, the king said to him, “Have we appointed you an adviser to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?”

So the prophet stopped but said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”

⁹ For the eyes^(A) of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish^(B) thing, and from now on you will be at war.^(C)”

¹⁰ Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison.^(D) At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people.

¹⁵ Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man.^{(A) 16} So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.^(B)

⁸ The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate^(A) him because he never prophesies anything good^(B) about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”

“The king should not say such a thing,” Jehoshaphat replied.

² This is the account^(A) of Jacob’s family line.

Joseph,^(B) a young man of seventeen,^(C) was tending the flocks^(D) with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah^(E) and the sons of Zilpah,^(F) his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report^(G) about them.

²⁰ Then the Spirit^(A) of God came on Zechariah^(B) son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands? You will not prosper.^(C) Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken^(D) you.’”