The officials of the city of Zoan are very foolish. Pharaoh’s wise men give advice that doesn’t make any sense. How can they dare to say to Pharaoh,“ We’re among the wise men”? How can they say to him,“ We’re like the advisers to the kings of long ago”?

琐安的首领极其愚昧；法老大有智慧的谋士，所筹划的成为愚谋。你们怎敢对法老说：“我是智慧人的子孙，我是古王的后裔？”

琐安的官长极其愚昧，法老智慧的谋士筹划愚谋；你们怎敢对法老说：“我是智慧人的子孙，是古代国王的后裔？”

琐安的官长极其愚昧，法老智慧的谋士筹划愚谋；你们怎敢对法老说：“我是智慧人的子孙，是古代国王的后裔？”

埃及王聪明的谋士——琐安的首领们变得愚不可及。他们怎敢在埃及王面前自称是古圣先贤的子孙呢？

琐安的领袖非常愚昧，法老那些最有智慧的谋士所筹算的，都成为愚昧。你们怎能对法老说：“我是智慧人的儿子，是古代君王的后裔”呢？

琐安的首领们极其愚妄，法老最智慧的谋士们所出的谋略都是愚拙！你们怎么能对法老说“我是智慧人的子孙，是古代君王的后裔”？

瑣安的首領極其愚昧；法老大有智慧的謀士，所籌劃的成為愚謀。你們怎敢對法老說：我是智慧人的子孫，我是古王的後裔？

瑣安的官長極其愚昧，法老智慧的謀士籌劃愚謀；你們怎敢對法老說：「我是智慧人的子孫，是古代國王的後裔？」

瑣安的官長極其愚昧，法老智慧的謀士籌劃愚謀；你們怎敢對法老說：「我是智慧人的子孫，是古代國王的後裔？」

埃及王聰明的謀士——瑣安的首領們變得愚不可及。他們怎敢在埃及王面前自稱是古聖先賢的子孫呢？

瑣安的領袖非常愚昧，法老那些最有智慧的謀士所籌算的，都成為愚昧。你們怎能對法老說：“我是智慧人的兒子，是古代君王的後裔”呢？

瑣安的首領極其愚昧，法老大有智慧的謀士所設的乃是畜類無知的計謀。你們怎敢對法老說：『我是智慧人的兒子，我是古時君王的子孫』呢？

瑣安的首領們極其愚妄，法老最智慧的謀士們所出的謀略都是愚拙！你們怎麼能對法老說「我是智慧人的子孫，是古代君王的後裔」？

瑣安之牧伯愚甚、法老有智之謀士、所謀愚蠢、何謂法老曰、我乃哲人之後、前王之胤耶、

鎖安之牧伯、法老之謀士、忽為愚懵、焉能告法老曰、我乃先賢之後、前王之裔哉。

瑣安之候伯、盡為愚蒙、法老謀士之智者、其謀忽成拙計、焉能告法老曰、我乃先賢之後、古王之裔哉、

The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; the wise counselors of Pharaoh give senseless advice. How can you say to Pharaoh,“ I am one of the wise men, a disciple of the ancient kings”?

The princes of Zoan are utterly foolish; the wisest counselors of Pharaoh give stupid counsel. How can you say to Pharaoh,“ I am a son of the wise, a son of ancient kings”?

What fools are the officials of Zoan! Their best counsel to the king of Egypt is stupid and wrong. Will they still boast to Pharaoh of their wisdom? Will they dare brag about all their wise ancestors?

The princes of Zoan are complete fools; Pharaoh’s wisest advisers give stupid advice! How can you say to Pharaoh,“ I am one of the wise, a student of eastern kings”?

The officials of Zoan are mere fools; The advice of Pharaoh’s wisest advisers has become stupid. How can you say to Pharaoh,“ I am a son of the wise, a son of ancient kings”?

Surely the princes of Zoan are fools; Pharaoh’s wise counselors give foolish counsel. How do you say to Pharaoh,“ I am the son of the wise, The son of ancient kings?”

The princes of Zoan are utterly foolish; the counsel of the wisest counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings?

The princes of Zoan are complete fools; Pharaoh’s wisest advisers give stupid advice! How can you say to Pharaoh,“ I am one of the wise, a student of eastern kings”?

Surely the princes of Zoan[ are] fools, the counsel of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I[ am] the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings?

The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; Pharaoh’s wise advisers give stupid advice. How dare you say to Pharaoh,“ I am one of the sages, one well-versed in the writings of the ancient kings?”

The princes of Zoan are utterly foolish. The counsel of the wisest counselors of Pharaoh has become stupid. How do you say to Pharaoh,“ I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings?”

They went up through the Negev Desert and came to Hebron. That’s where Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai lived. They belonged to the family line of Anak. Hebron had been built seven years before Zoan. Zoan was a city in Egypt.

Moses was taught all the knowledge of the people of Egypt. He became a powerful speaker and a man of action.

They forgot how he had shown them his signs in Egypt. They forgot his miracles in the area of Zoan.

Their officials have gone to the city of Zoan. Their messengers have arrived in Hanes.

Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the east. It was greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.

So Pharaoh said to them,“ The spirit of God is in this man. We can’t find anyone else like him, can we?”Then Pharaoh said to Joseph,“ God has made all this known to you. No one is as wise and understanding as you are.

He did miracles right in front of their people who lived long ago. At that time they were living in Egypt, in the area of Zoan.

Surely I am only a dumb animal and not a man. I don’t understand as other men do.

He stops the evil plans of those who are clever. The work of their hands doesn’t succeed.Some people think they are so wise. But God catches them in their own tricks. He sweeps away the evil plans of sinful people.

It is written,“ I will destroy the wisdom of those who are wise. I will do away with the cleverness of those who think they are so smart.”( Isaiah 29:14)Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where are the great thinkers of our time? Hasn’t God made the wisdom of the world foolish?

He removes the wisdom of rulers and leads them away. He makes judges look foolish.

No one has any sense or knows anything at all. Everyone who works with gold is put to shame by his gods. The metal gods he has made are fakes. They can’t even breathe.

Here is what the Lord says about Edom. The Lord who rules over all says,“ Isn’t there wisdom in the town of Teman anymore? Can’t those who are wise give advice? Has their wisdom disappeared completely?

The officials of Zoan have become foolish. The leaders of Memphis have been lied to. The most important leaders in Egypt have led its people astray.

The Lord blocks the sinful plans of the nations. He keeps them from doing what they want to do.

Trouble after trouble will come. One report will follow another. But they will not be true. The people will go searching for a vision from the prophets. But there will not be any. The teaching of the law by the priests will be gone. Advice from the elders will come to an end.

I didn’t have any sense. I didn’t know anything. I acted like a wild animal toward you.

“ Some prophets are not really prophets at all. I show that their signs are fake. I make those who practice evil magic look foolish. I destroy the learning of those who think they are wise. Their knowledge does not make any sense at all.

So once more I will shock these people with many wonderful acts. I will destroy the wisdom of those who think they are so wise. I will do away with the cleverness of those who think they are so smart.”

The leaders of my people are like shepherds who don’t have any sense. They don’t ask the Lord for advice. That’s why they don’t succeed. And that’s why their whole flock is scattered like sheep.

I will completely destroy Upper Egypt. I will set Zoan on fire. I will punish Thebes.

The people of Egypt will lose hope. I will keep them from doing what they plan to do. They will ask their gods for advice. They will turn to the spirits of dead people for help. They will go to people who get messages from those who have died. They will ask for advice from people who talk to the spirits of the dead.

Here is something that people without sense don’t know. Here is what foolish people don’t understand.