²⁰ Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, Give your opinion now, what are we to do?

¹⁰ Let us take care for fear that their numbers may become even greater, and if there is a war, they may be joined with those who are against us, and make an attack on us, and go up out of the land.

² The kings of the earth have taken their place, and the rulers are fixed in their purpose, against the Lord, and against the king of his selection, saying,

¹² The sinner has evil designs against the upright, lifting up the voice of wrath against him.

¹³ He will be laughed at by the Lord, who sees that his day is coming.

³⁰ Wisdom and knowledge and wise suggestions are of no use against the Lord.

¹⁰ Let your designs be formed, and they will come to nothing; give your orders, and they will not be effected: for God is with us.

¹⁵ Cursed are those who go deep to keep their designs secret from the Lord, and whose works are in the dark, and who say, Who sees us? and who has knowledge of our acts?

¹ Now when it was morning, all the chief priests and those in authority took thought together with the purpose of putting Jesus to death.

²³ And when they had been made free, they came back to their friends, and gave an account of all the things which the chief priests and the authorities had said to them.

²⁴ And hearing it, they all, with one mind, made prayer to God and said, O Lord, maker of heaven and earth and the sea and all things in them:

²⁵ Who has said, by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David your servant, Why are the nations so violently moved, and why are the thoughts of the people so foolish?

²⁶ The kings of the earth were lifted up, the rulers came together, against the Lord, and against his Christ:

²⁷ For, truly, in this town, against your holy servant, Jesus, who was marked out by you as Christ, Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, came together,

²⁸ To do that which had been fixed before by your hand and your purpose.