Counsel

Israel is a nation devoid of counsel, with no understanding among them.

Behold, all you Israelites, give your advice and verdict here and now.”

Now someone told David: “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David pleaded, “O LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!”

But you can thwart the counsel of Ahithophel for me if you return to the city and say to Absalom: ‘I will be your servant, my king; in the past I was your father’s servant, but now I will be your servant.’

Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give me counsel. What should we do?”

Now in those days the advice of Ahithophel was like the consultation of the word of God. Such was the regard that both David and Absalom had for Ahithophel’s advice.

Hushai replied, “This time the advice of Ahithophel is not sound.”

Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than that of Ahithophel.” For the LORD had purposed to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom.

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

Now please, come and let me advise you. Save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.

But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders; instead, he consulted the young men who had grown up with him and served him.

And the king answered the people harshly. He rejected the advice of the elders

and spoke to them as the young men had advised, saying, “Whereas my father made your yoke heavy, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions.”

You claim to have a strategy and strength for war, but these are empty words. In whom are you now trusting, that you have rebelled against me?

When David went to Ziklag, these men of Manasseh defected to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, chiefs of thousands in Manasseh.

But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders; instead, he consulted the young men who had grown up with him and served him.

And the king answered them harshly. King Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders

and spoke to them as the young men had advised, saying, “Whereas my father made your yoke heavy, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions.”

Ahaziah also followed their counsel and went with Joram son of Ahab king of Israel to fight against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead. But the Arameans wounded Joram.

While he was still speaking, the king asked, “Have we made you the counselor to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?” So the prophet stopped, but he said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not heeded my advice.”

They hired counselors against them to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.

So now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all the foreign wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the command of our God. Let it be done according to the Law.

Whoever failed to appear within three days would forfeit all his property, according to the counsel of the leaders and elders, and would himself be expelled from the assembly of the exiles.

So we prayed to our God and posted a guard against them day and night.

He catches the wise in their craftiness, and sweeps away the plans of the cunning.

Does it please You to oppress me, to reject the work of Your hands and favor the schemes of the wicked?

Wisdom and strength belong to God; counsel and understanding are His.

His vigorous stride is shortened, and his own schemes trip him up.

Still, their prosperity is not in their own hands, so I stay far from the counsel of the wicked.

But it was He who filled their houses with good things; so I stay far from the counsel of the wicked.

Men listened to me with expectation, waiting silently for my counsel.

“Who is this who obscures My counsel by words without knowledge?

You asked, ‘Who is this who conceals My counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers.

You sinners frustrate the plans of the oppressed, yet the LORD is their shelter.

May we shout for joy at your victory and raise a banner in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your petitions.

The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples.

The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the purposes of His heart to all generations.

You guide me with Your counsel, and later receive me in glory.

Yet they soon forgot His works and failed to wait for His counsel.

because they rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High.

Your testimonies are indeed my delight; they are my counselors.

because you neglected all my counsel, and wanted none of my correction,

They accepted none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof.

Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have insight and strength.

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to counsel.

Listen to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days.

Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.

The intentions of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.

Set plans by consultation, and wage war under sound guidance.

There is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel that can prevail against the LORD.

Oil and incense bring joy to the heart, and the counsel of a friend is sweetness to the soul.

to those who say, “Let Him hurry and hasten His work so that we may see it! Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come so that we may know it!”

Devise a plan, but it will be thwarted; state a proposal, but it will not happen. For God is with us.”

The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD.

This is the plan devised for the whole earth, and this is the hand stretched out over all the nations.

“Give us counsel; render a decision. Shelter us at noonday with shade as dark as night. Hide the refugees; do not betray the one who flees.

Then the spirit of the Egyptians will be emptied out from among them, and I will frustrate their plans, so that they will resort to idols and spirits of the dead, to mediums and spiritists.

The princes of Zoan are mere fools; Pharaoh’s wise counselors give senseless advice. How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am one of the wise, a son of eastern kings”?

The land of Judah will bring terror to Egypt; whenever Judah is mentioned, Egypt will tremble over what the LORD of Hosts has planned against it.

O LORD, You are my God! I will exalt You; I will praise Your name. For You have worked wonders—plans formed long ago—in perfect faithfulness.

This also comes from the LORD of Hosts, who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.

Woe to those who dig deep to hide their plans from the LORD. In darkness they do their works and say, “Who sees us, and who will know?”

“Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the LORD, “to those who carry out a plan that is not Mine, who form an alliance, but against My will, heaping up sin upon sin.

You claim to have a strategy and strength for war, but these are empty words. In whom are you now trusting, that you have rebelled against me?

Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or informed Him as His counselor?

who confirms the message of His servant and fulfills the counsel of His messengers, who says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be inhabited,’ and of the cities of Judah, ‘They will be rebuilt, and I will restore their ruins,’

I declare the end from the beginning, and ancient times from what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’

You are wearied by your many counselors; let them come forward now and save you—your astrologers who observe the stars, who monthly predict your fate.

Then some said, “Come, let us make plans against Jeremiah, for the law will never be lost to the priest, nor counsel to the wise, nor an oracle to the prophet. Come, let us denounce him and pay no heed to any of his words.”

But You, O LORD, know all their deadly plots against me. Do not wipe out their guilt or blot out their sin from Your sight. Let them be overthrown before You; deal with them in the time of Your anger.

And in this place I will ruin the plans of Judah and Jerusalem. I will make them fall by the sword before their enemies, by the hands of those who seek their lives, and I will give their carcasses as food to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth.

the One great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are on all the ways of the sons of men, to reward each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds.

Concerning Edom, this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Is there no longer wisdom in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom decayed?

Therefore hear the plans that the LORD has drawn up against Edom and the strategies He has devised against the people of Teman: Surely the little ones of the flock will be dragged away; certainly their pasture will be made desolate because of them.

Run! Escape quickly! Lie low, O residents of Hazor,” declares the LORD, “for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has drawn up a plan against you; he has devised a strategy against you.

Therefore hear the plans that the LORD has drawn up against Babylon and the strategies He has devised against the land of the Chaldeans: Surely the little ones of the flock will be dragged away; certainly their pasture will be made desolate because of them.

Disaster upon disaster will come, and rumor after rumor. Then they will seek a vision from a prophet, but instruction from the priests will perish, as will counsel from the elders.

And the LORD said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who plot evil and give wicked counsel in this city.

Yes, it will be carried to Assyria as tribute to the great king. Ephraim will be seized with shame; Israel will be ashamed of its wooden idols.

But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD or understand His plan, for He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.

Yes, He will build the temple of the LORD; He will be clothed in splendor and will sit on His throne and rule. And He will be a priest on His throne, and there will be peaceful counsel between the two.’