Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools.

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness {where there is} no way.

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

And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, {was} as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God: so {was} all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom. {oracle: Heb. word}

Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where {is} the scribe? where {is} the receiver? where {is} he that counted the towers? {receiver: Heb. weigher?}

And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled {his} ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father. {followed: Heb. done} {put his...: Heb. gave charge concerning his house}

Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? {report: or, doctrine?: Heb. hearing?}

And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite {is} better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom. {appointed: Heb. commanded}

He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged. {speech...: Heb. lip of the faithful}

Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:

And {one} told David, saying, Ahithophel {is} among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.

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?

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. {babbler: or, base fellow}

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

For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, {are called}:

And {one} told David, saying, Ahithophel {is} among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.

For my people {is} foolish, they have not known me; they {are} sottish children, and they have none understanding: they {are} wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.

But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.

This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he {was} a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.

For thou hast hid their heart from understanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt {them}.

And forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where {is} the fury of the oppressor? {were...: or, made himself ready}

Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?

Where {are} they? where {are} thy wise {men}? and let them tell thee now, and let them know what the LORD of hosts hath purposed upon Egypt.

Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where {is} the scribe? where {is} the receiver? where {is} he that counted the towers? {receiver: Heb. weigher?}

And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed {it}, Why hast thou made me thus? {repliest...: or, answerest again, or, disputest with God?}

All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it {was} far from me.

Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called {the synagogue} of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.

And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions.

But as for you all, do ye return, and come now: for I cannot find {one} wise {man} among you.

For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.

And one of them, {named} Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,