Judah said to his brothers, “What do we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood (murder)?

“O my soul, do not come into their secret council;
Let not my glory (honor) be united with their assembly [for I knew nothing of their plot];
Because in their anger they killed men [an honored man, Shechem, and the Shechemites],
And in their self-will they lamed oxen.

Now listen to me; I will advise you, and may God be with you [to confirm my advice]. You shall represent the people before God. You shall bring their disputes and causes to Him.

Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the Israelites; and they saw [the manifestation of the presence of] God, and ate and drank.

In the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim (Lights) and the Thummim (Perfections) [to be used for determining God’s will in a matter]. They shall be over Aaron’s heart whenever he goes before the Lord, and Aaron shall always carry the judgment (verdict, judicial decisions) of the sons of Israel over his heart before the Lord.

He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the Lord for him by the judgment (decision) of the Urim. At Joshua’s command the people shall go out and at his command they shall come in, he and all the congregation of Israel with him.”

Look, these [are the women who] caused the Israelites, by the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and so a plague came among the congregation of the Lord.

you shall not consent to him or listen to him; and your eye shall not pity him, nor shall you spare him or conceal him.

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

And they said to him, “Please ask of God, so that we may know whether our journey on which we are going will be successful.”

All who saw the dismembered parts said, “Nothing like this has ever happened or been seen from the day that the sons of Israel came up from the land of Egypt to this day. Consider it, take counsel, and speak [your minds]!”

Now then, all you sons of Israel, all of you, give your advice and counsel here [regarding what should be done].”

The men of Israel arose and went up to Bethel and asked of God and said, “Which of us shall take the lead to battle against the sons [tribe] of Benjamin?” And the Lord said, “Judah [shall go up] first.”

Saul asked [counsel] of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You hand them over to Israel?” But He did not answer him that day.

Then Ahimelech answered the king, “And who among all your servants is as faithful and trustworthy as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, and who is captain over your guard [and your confidant], and is honored in your house?

David was told, “Ahithophel [your counselor] is among the conspirators with Absalom.” David said, “O Lord, I pray You, turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness.”

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 the past, so I will be your servant now;’ then you can thwart (make useless) the advice of Ahithophel for me.

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

The advice of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if a man had consulted the word of God; that is how all Ahithophel’s counsel was regarded by both David and Absalom.

So Hushai said to Absalom, “Ahithophel has not given good advice this time.”

But I advise that all [the men of] Israel be summoned to you, from Dan [in the north] to Beersheba [in the south], like the sand that is by the sea in abundance, and that you personally go into battle.

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 ordained to thwart the good advice of Ahithophel, so that the Lord could bring disaster upon Absalom.

Then Hushai said to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, “This is the advice that Ahithophel gave to Absalom and the elders of Israel, and this is the advice that I have given.

Now when Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out and went to his home, to his city. Then he put his household in order, and hanged himself. So he died and was buried in the tomb of his father.

Then she said, “In the past people used to say, ‘They will certainly ask advice at Abel,’ and so they settled the dispute.

He was honored among the thirty, but he did not attain to the [greatness of the] three. David appointed him over his guard.

But he ignored the advice which the elders gave him and consulted the young men who grew up with him and served him.

The king answered the people harshly and ignored the advice which the elders had given him,

and spoke to them in accordance with the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but as for me, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.”

So the king took counsel [and followed bad advice] and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, “It is too much for you to go [all the way] up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”

You say (but they are only empty words) ‘I have counsel and strength for the war.’ Now on whom do you rely, that you have rebelled against me?

He was honored among the thirty, but he did not attain to [the rank of] the [first] three. David appointed him over his bodyguard.

Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon [as advisers] while he was alive, asking, “What advice do you give me in answer to these people?”

But the king rejected the advice which the elders gave him, and consulted with the young men who grew up with him and served him [as advisers].

The king answered them harshly, for King Rehoboam rejected the counsel of the elders.

He also walked in accordance with their advice, and he went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to wage war against Hazael king of Aram (Syria) at Ramoth-gilead. And the Arameans wounded Joram (Jehoram).

As he was talking, the king said to him, “Have we made you the king’s counselor? Stop! Why should you be put to death?” Then the prophet stopped and said, “I know that God has decided to destroy you because you have done this and have ignored my advice.”

Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel and sent word to Joash the son of Jehoahaz the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come [to battle], let us face each other.”

For the king and his officials and all the assembly in Jerusalem had decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month,

Then the whole assembly decided to celebrate [the feast] for another seven days; and they celebrated it another seven days with joy.

Therefore let us now make a covenant with our God to send away all the [foreign] wives and their children, in accordance with the advice of my lord and of those who tremble [in reverent obedience] at the commandment of our God; and let it be done in accordance with the Law.

Also [it is reported that] you have appointed prophets to make a proclamation concerning you in Jerusalem, saying, ‘There is a king in Judah!’ And now these things will be reported to the [Persian] king. So come now, and let us consult together.”

“He catches the [so-called] wise in their own shrewdness,
And the advice of the devious is quickly thwarted.

“But [only] with Him are [perfect] wisdom and might;
He [alone] has [true] counsel and understanding.

“Oh, that You would hide me in Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead),
That You would conceal me until Your wrath is past,
That You would set a definite time and then remember me [and in Your lovingkindness imprint me on your heart]!

“Do you hear the secret counsel of God,
And do you limit [the possession of] wisdom to yourself?

“The vigorous stride will be shortened,
And his own counsel and the scheme [in which he trusted] will bring his downfall.

“All the men of my council hate me;
Those I love have turned against me.

“Yet He filled their houses with good things;
But the counsel of the wicked and ungodly is far from me.

“I will teach you regarding the hand (power) of God;
I will not conceal what is with the Almighty [God’s actual treatment of the wicked].

As I was in the prime of my days,
When the friendship and counsel of God were over my tent,

“When I went out to the gate of the city,
When I took my seat [as a city father] in the square,

“They listened to me and waited
And kept silent for my counsel.

If I have lifted my hand against the orphan,
Because I saw [that the judges would be] my help at the [council] gate,

“Who is this that darkens counsel [questioning my authority and wisdom]
By words without knowledge?

“[You said to me] ‘Who is this that darkens and obscures counsel [by words] without knowledge?’
Therefore [I now see] I have [rashly] uttered that which I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked [following their advice and example],
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit [down to rest] in the seat of scoffers (ridiculers).

The kings of the earth take their stand;
And the rulers take counsel together
Against the Lord and His Anointed (the Davidic King, the Messiah, the Christ), saying,

I will bless the Lord who has counseled me;
Indeed, my heart (mind) instructs me in the night.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you [who are willing to learn] with My eye upon you.

The Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations;
He makes the thoughts and plans of the people ineffective.

The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
The thoughts and plans of His heart through all generations.

Hide me from the secret counsel and conspiracy of the ungodly,
From the scheming of those who do wrong,

You will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to honor and glory.

A God greatly feared and reverently worshiped in the council of the holy [angelic] ones,
And awesome above all those who are around Him?

You have placed our wickedness before you,
Our secret sins [which we tried to conceal, You have placed] in the [revealing] light of Your presence.

Many times He rescued them;
But they were rebellious in their counsel,
And sank down in their wickedness.

Because they had rebelled against the precepts of God
And spurned the counsel of the Most High.

Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)
I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart,
In the company of the upright and in the congregation.

The wise will hear and increase their learning,
And the person of understanding will acquire wise counsel and the skill [to steer his course wisely and lead others to the truth],

And you treated all my counsel as nothing
And would not accept my reprimand,

They would not accept my counsel,
And they spurned all my rebuke.

For the devious are repulsive to the Lord;
But His private counsel is with the upright [those with spiritual integrity and moral courage].

“Counsel is mine and sound wisdom;
I am understanding, power and strength are mine.

The way of the [arrogant] fool [who rejects God’s wisdom] is right in his own eyes,
But a wise and prudent man is he who listens to counsel.

Whoever despises the word and counsel [of God] brings destruction upon himself,
But he who [reverently] fears and respects the commandment [of God] will be rewarded.

A scoffer [unlike a wise man] resents one who rebukes him and tries to teach him;
Nor will he go to the wise [for counsel and instruction].

Without consultation and wise advice, plans are frustrated,
But with many counselors they are established and succeed.

He who pays attention to the word [of God] will find good,
And blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) is he who trusts [confidently] in the Lord.

Listen to counsel, receive instruction, and accept correction,
That you may be wise in the time to come.

A plan (motive, wise counsel) in the heart of a man is like water in a deep well,
But a man of understanding draws it out.

Plans are established by counsel;
So make war [only] with wise guidance.

There is no [human] wisdom or understanding
Or counsel [that can prevail] against the Lord.

For by wise guidance you can wage your war,
And in an abundance of [wise] counselors there is victory and safety.

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,
But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

Oil and perfume make the heart glad;
So does the sweetness of a friend’s counsel that comes from the heart.

She opens her mouth in [skillful and godly] wisdom,
And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue [giving counsel and instruction].

I spoke with my heart, saying, “Behold, I have acquired great [human] wisdom and experience, more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of [moral] wisdom and [scientific] knowledge.”

A poor yet wise youth is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive instruction and counsel (friendly reproof, warning)—

I counsel you to keep the command of the king because of the oath before God [by which you swore loyalty to him].

“Take counsel together [against Judah], but it will come to nothing;
Speak the word, but it will not stand,
For God is with us (Immanuel).”

And 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 of the [reverential and obedient] fear of the Lord—

[Say to the ruler] “Give us advice, make a decision [for Moab, king of Judah];
Cast your shadow [over us] like night in the midst of noon;
Hide the outcasts, do not betray the fugitive [to his pursuer].

“Then the spirit of the Egyptians will become exhausted within them and emptied out;
And I will confuse their strategy,
So that they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead,
And mediums and soothsayers.

The princes of Zoan are complete fools;
The counsel of the Pharaoh’s wisest advisors has become stupid.
How can you say to Pharaoh,
“I am a son of the wise, a son of ancient kings?”

Listen carefully, the Lord is about to come out of His [heavenly] place
To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their wickedness [their sin, their injustice, their wrongdoing];
The earth will reveal the [innocent] blood shed upon her
And will no longer cover her slain.

This also comes from the Lord of hosts,
Who has made His counsel wonderful and His wisdom great.

Woe (judgment is coming) to those who [try to] deeply hide their plans from the Lord,
Whose deeds are done in a dark place,
And who say, “Who sees us?” or “Who knows us?”

“Woe (judgment is coming) to the rebellious children,” declares the Lord,
“Who carry out a plan, but not Mine,
And make an alliance [by pouring out a libation], but not of My Spirit,
In order to add sin to sin;

I say, ‘Your plan and strength for the war are only empty words.’ Now in whom do you trust and on whom do you rely, that you have rebelled against me?