I expose the false prophets as liars and make fools of fortune tellers. I cause the wise to give bad advice, thus proving them to be fools.

使说假话的兆头失效，使占卜的癫狂，使智慧人退后，使他的知识变为愚拙；

我使虚谎的预兆失效，愚弄占卜的人，使智慧人退后，使他的知识变为愚拙；

我使虚谎的预兆失效，愚弄占卜的人，使智慧人退后，使他的知识变为愚拙；

我使假先知的预兆无法应验，使占卜者丑态百出；我颠覆智者的知识，使之愚不可及。

我使说假话者的兆头失效，使占卜者都变成愚昧人；我使有智慧的人后退，使他们的知识变为愚拙。

我破坏假先知的预兆，使占卜者显为愚妄；我颠覆了智慧人，使他们的知识变为愚拙；

使說假話的兆頭失效，使占卜的癲狂，使智慧人退後，使他的知識變為愚拙；

我使虛謊的預兆失效，愚弄占卜的人，使智慧人退後，使他的知識變為愚拙；

我使虛謊的預兆失效，愚弄占卜的人，使智慧人退後，使他的知識變為愚拙；

我使假先知的預兆無法應驗，使占卜者醜態百出；我顛覆智者的知識，使之愚不可及。

我使說假話者的兆頭失效，使占卜者都變成愚昧人；我使有智慧的人後退，使他們的知識變為愚拙。

是那使信口胡謅者的兆頭無效的，使占卜者變成了狂妄人，使智慧人退後，使他們的智識變為愚拙的，

我破壞假先知的預兆，使占卜者顯為愚妄；我顛覆了智慧人，使他們的知識變為愚拙；

我使誑者之兆不驗、卜筮之輩顚狂、智者卻退、其聰慧變為愚拙、

卜筮之輩、設兆惑人、我使其言不驗、彼自矜巧慧、反形愚拙、我使之然。

使偽先知所言預兆無驗、使卜筮者顯為愚、使智慧人退後、使其靈巧變為愚拙、

who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who overthrows the learning of the wise and turns it into nonsense,

“ 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.

who frustrates the signs of liars and makes fools of diviners, who turns wise men back and makes their knowledge foolish,

who destroys the omens of the false prophets and makes fools of diviners; who confounds the wise and makes their knowledge foolishness;

Causing the omens of diviners to fail, Making fools of fortune tellers; Causing wise men to turn back And making their knowledge ridiculous,

Who frustrates the signs of the babblers, And drives diviners mad; Who turns wise men backward, And makes their knowledge foolishness;

that frustrateth the signs of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;

who destroys the omens of the false prophets and makes fools of diviners; who confounds the wise and makes their knowledge foolishness;

That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise[ men] backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;

who frustrates the omens of the empty talkers and humiliates the omen readers, who overturns the counsel of the wise men and makes their advice seem foolish,

who frustrates the signs of the liars, and makes diviners mad; who turns wise men backward, and makes their knowledge foolish;

The Lord frustrates the plans of the nations and thwarts all their schemes.

He frustrates the plans of schemers so the work of their hands will not succeed.He traps the wise in their own cleverness so their cunning schemes are thwarted.They find it is dark in the daytime, and they grope at noon as if it were night.

When someone told David that his adviser Ahithophel was now backing Absalom, David prayed,“ O Lord, let Ahithophel give Absalom foolish advice!”

The sword will strike her wise counselors, and they will become fools. The sword will strike her mightiest warriors, and panic will seize them.

I will make her officials and wise men drunk, along with her captains, officers, and warriors. They will fall asleep and never wake up again!” says the King, whose name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

Because of this, I will once again astound these hypocrites with amazing wonders. The wisdom of the wise will pass away, and the intelligence of the intelligent will disappear.”

“ Now use your magical charms! Use the spells you have worked at all these years! Maybe they will do you some good. Maybe they can make someone afraid of you.All the advice you receive has made you tired. Where are all your astrologers, those stargazers who make predictions each month? Let them stand up and save you from what the future holds.But they are like straw burning in a fire; they cannot save themselves from the flame. You will get no help from them at all; their hearth is no place to sit for warmth.

and his face turned pale with fright. His knees knocked together in fear and his legs gave way beneath him.The king shouted for the enchanters, astrologers, and fortune tellers to be brought before him. He said to these wise men of Babylon,“ Whoever can read this writing and tell me what it means will be dressed in purple robes of royal honor and will have a gold chain placed around his neck. He will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom!”But when all the king’s wise men had come in, none of them could read the writing or tell him what it meant.

When all the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and fortune tellers came in, I told them the dream, but they could not tell me what it meant.

“‘ Do not listen to your false prophets, fortune tellers, interpreters of dreams, mediums, and sorcerers who say,“ The king of Babylon will not conquer you.”They are all liars, and their lies will lead to your being driven out of your land. I will drive you out and send you far away to die.

One of them, Zedekiah son of Kenaanah, made some iron horns and proclaimed,“ This is what the Lord says: With these horns you will gore the Arameans to death!”All the other prophets agreed.“ Yes,” they said,“ go up to Ramoth gilead and be victorious, for the Lord will give the king victory!”

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?Where are your wise counselors, Pharaoh? Let them tell you what God plans, what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is going to do to Egypt.The officials of Zoan are fools, and the officials of Memphis are deluded. The leaders of the people have led Egypt astray.The Lord has sent a spirit of foolishness on them, so all their suggestions are wrong. They cause Egypt to stagger like a drunk in his vomit.

Absalom followed Ahithophel’s advice, just as David had done. For every word Ahithophel spoke seemed as wise as though it had come directly from the mouth of God.

This message was given concerning Edom. This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says:“ Is there no wisdom in Teman? Is no one left to give wise counsel?

Even the magicians were unable to stand before Moses, because the boils had broken out on them and all the Egyptians.

Whenever the king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.

So the king died, and his body was taken to Samaria and buried there.

All the other prophets agreed.“ Yes,” they said,“ go up to Ramoth gilead and be victorious, for the Lord will give the king victory!”

“‘ How will you do this?’ the Lord asked.“ And the spirit replied,‘ I will go out and inspire all of Ahab’s prophets to speak lies.’“‘ You will succeed,’ said the Lord.‘ Go ahead and do it.’“ So you see, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all your prophets. For the Lord has pronounced your doom.”Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah walked up to Micaiah and slapped him across the face.“ Since when did the Spirit of the Lord leave me to speak to you?” he demanded.And Micaiah replied,“ You will find out soon enough when you are trying to hide in some secret room!”

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say,“ He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness.”And again,“ The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise; he knows they are worthless.”

The battle raged all that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans. In the evening, just as the sun was setting, he died.

When Ahithophel realized that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey, went to his hometown, set his affairs in order, and hanged himself. He died there and was buried in the family tomb.

The astrologers replied to the king,“ No one on earth can tell the king his dream! And no king, however great and powerful, has ever asked such a thing of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer!The king’s demand is impossible. No one except the gods can tell you your dream, and they do not live here among people.”The king was furious when he heard this, and he ordered that all the wise men of Babylon be executed.

So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish.Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe.It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom.So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you.Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.

So a prophet who predicts peace must show he is right. Only when his predictions come true can we know that he is really from the Lord.”Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke off Jeremiah’s neck and broke it in pieces.And Hananiah said again to the crowd that had gathered,“ This is what the Lord says:‘ Just as this yoke has been broken, within two years I will break the yoke of oppression from all the nations now subject to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.’” With that, Jeremiah left the Temple area.Soon after this confrontation with Hananiah, the Lord gave this message to Jeremiah:“ Go and tell Hananiah,‘ This is what the Lord says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but you have replaced it with a yoke of iron.The Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: I have put a yoke of iron on the necks of all these nations, forcing them into slavery under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control.’”Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah,“ Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, but the people believe your lies.Therefore, this is what the Lord says:‘ You must die. Your life will end this very year because you have rebelled against the Lord.’”Two months later the prophet Hananiah died.