The  Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.

The  Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

The  Lord said, ‘If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.

And the  Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.

to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze,

to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze,

to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze,

to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze,

to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts.

in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft.

He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers – all of them skilled workers and designers.

He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, or by a weaver—by any sort of workman or skilled designer.

then do to the false witness as that witness intended to do to the other party. You must purge the evil from among you.

then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.

They are a nation without sense,
there is no discernment in them.

“For they are a nation void of counsel,
and there is no understanding in them.

Everyone who saw it was saying to one another, ‘Such a thing has never been seen or done, not since the day the Israelites came up out of Egypt. Just imagine! We must do something! So speak up!’

And all who saw it said, “Such a thing has never happened or been seen from the day that the people of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt until this day; consider it, take counsel, and speak.”

Now, all you Israelites, speak up and tell me what you have decided to do.’

Behold, you people of Israel, all of you, give your advice and counsel here.”

Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But that is not what God desires; rather, he devises ways so that a banished person does not remain banished from him.

We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God will not take away life, and he devises means so that the banished one will not remain an outcast.

Now David had been told, ‘Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.’ So David prayed, ‘ Lord, turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness.’

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

But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, “Your Majesty, I will be your servant; I was your father’s servant in the past, but now I will be your servant,” then you can help me by frustrating Ahithophel’s advice.

But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father’s servant in time past, so now I will be your servant,’ then you will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel.

Absalom said to Ahithophel, ‘Give us your advice. What should we do?’

Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your counsel. What shall we do?”

Now in those days the advice Ahithophel gave was like that of one who enquires of God. That was how both David and Absalom regarded all of Ahithophel’s advice.

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, both by David and by Absalom.

Hushai replied to Absalom, ‘The advice Ahithophel has given is not good this time.

Then Hushai said to Absalom, “This time the counsel that Ahithophel has given is not good.”

Absalom and all the men of Israel said, ‘The advice of Hushai the Arkite is better than that of Ahithophel.’ For the  Lord had determined to frustrate the good advice of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom.

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 ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the  Lord might bring harm upon Absalom.

When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his home town. He put his house in order and then hanged himself. So he died and was buried in his father’s tomb.

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

Now then, let me advise you how you can save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.

Now therefore come, let me give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.

But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him.

But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him.

The king answered the people harshly. Rejecting the advice given him by the elders,

And the king answered the people harshly, and forsaking the counsel that the old men had given him,

he followed the advice of the young men and said, ‘My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.’

he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.”

You say you have the counsel and the might for war – but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me?

Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me?

Some of the tribe of Manasseh defected to David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul. (He and his men did not help the Philistines because, after consultation, their rulers sent him away. They said, ‘It will cost us our heads if he deserts to his master Saul.’)

Some of the men of Manasseh deserted to David when he came with the Philistines for the battle against Saul. (Yet he did not help them, for the rulers of the Philistines took counsel and sent him away, saying, “At peril to our heads he will desert to his master Saul.”)

‘And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the  Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you for ever.

“And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind for the  Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.

 Lord, the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep these desires and thoughts in the hearts of your people for ever, and keep their hearts loyal to you.

O  Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of your people, and direct their hearts toward you.

whose mother was from Dan and whose father was from Tyre. He is trained to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, and with purple and blue and crimson yarn and fine linen. He is experienced in all kinds of engraving and can execute any design given to him. He will work with your skilled workers and with those of my lord, David your father.

the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre. He is trained to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, and in purple, blue, and crimson fabrics and fine linen, and to do all sorts of engraving and execute any design that may be assigned him, with your craftsmen, the craftsmen of my lord, David your father.

But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him.

But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him.

The king answered them harshly. Rejecting the advice of the elders,

And the king answered them harshly; and forsaking the counsel of the old men,

he followed the advice of the young men and said, ‘My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.’

King Rehoboam spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.”

He also followed their counsel when he went with Joram son of Ahab king of Israel to wage war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth Gilead. The Arameans wounded Joram;

He even followed their counsel and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to make war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead. And the Syrians wounded Joram,

While he was still speaking, the king said to him, ‘Have we appointed you an advisor 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.’

But as he was speaking, the king said to him, “Have we made you a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you 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.”

In Jerusalem he made devices invented for use on the towers and on the corner defences so that soldiers could shoot arrows and hurl large stones from the walls. His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful.

In Jerusalem he made machines, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and great stones. And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong.

They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.

and bribed counselors against them to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law.

Therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God, and let it be done according to the Law.

Anyone who failed to appear within three days would forfeit all his property, in accordance with the decision of the officials and elders, and would himself be expelled from the assembly of the exiles.

and that if anyone did not come within three days, by order of the officials and the elders all his property should be forfeited, and he himself banned from the congregation of the exiles.

When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our work.

When our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work.

Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews.

Then Esther spoke again to the king. She fell at his feet and wept and pleaded with him to avert the evil plan of Haman the Agagite and the plot that he had devised against the Jews.

‘If it pleases the king,’ she said, ‘and if he regards me with favour and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces.

Esther rose and stood before the king. And she said, “If it please the king and if I have found favor in his sight, and if the thing seems right before the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let an order be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king.

But when the plot came to the king’s attention, he issued written orders that the evil scheme Haman had devised against the Jews should come back on to his own head, and that he and his sons should be impaled on poles.

But when it came before the king, he gave orders in writing that his evil plan that he had devised against the Jews should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.

He thwarts the plans of the crafty,
so that their hands achieve no success.

He frustrates the devices of the crafty,
so that their hands achieve no success.

He catches the wise in their craftiness,
and the schemes of the wily are swept away.

He catches the wise in their own craftiness,
and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end.

Does it please you to oppress me,
to spurn the work of your hands,
while you smile on the plans of the wicked?

Does it seem good to you to oppress,
to despise the work of your hands
and favor the designs of the wicked?

‘To God belong wisdom and power;
counsel and understanding are his.

“With God are wisdom and might;
he has counsel and understanding.

The vigour of his step is weakened;
his own schemes throw him down.

His strong steps are shortened,
and his own schemes throw him down.

But their prosperity is not in their own hands,
so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked.

Behold, is not their prosperity in their hand?
The counsel of the wicked is far from me.

‘I know full well what you are thinking,
the schemes by which you would wrong me.

“Behold, I know your thoughts
and your schemes to wrong me.

Yet it was he who filled their houses with good things,
so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked.

Yet he filled their houses with good things—
but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

‘People listened to me expectantly,
waiting in silence for my counsel.

“Men listened to me and waited
and kept silence for my counsel.

‘Who is this that obscures my plans
with words without knowledge?

“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

You asked, “Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?”
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.

‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,

Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?

How long must I take counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,
but the  Lord is their refuge.

You would shame the plans of the poor,
but the  Lord is his refuge.

Though you probe my heart,
though you examine me at night and test me,
you will find that I have planned no evil;
my mouth has not transgressed.

You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night,
you have tested me, and you will find nothing;
I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.

May he give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed.

May he grant you your heart’s desire
and fulfill all your plans!

For I hear many whispering,
‘Terror on every side!’
They conspire against me
and plot to take my life.

For I hear the whispering of many—
terror on every side!—
as they scheme together against me,
as they plot to take my life.

The  Lord foils the plans of the nations;
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.

The  Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
he frustrates the plans of the peoples.

But the plans of the  Lord stand firm for ever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations.

The counsel of the  Lord stands forever,
the plans of his heart to all generations.

The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them;

The wicked plots against the righteous
and gnashes his teeth at him,