²⁷ 
Had I not feared the provocation of the enemy,
That their adversaries would misjudge,
That they would say, “Our [own] hand has prevailed,
And the Lord has not done all this.”’

²⁸ 
“For they are a nation devoid of counsel,
And there is no understanding in them.
²⁹ 
“O that they were wise, that they understood this,
That they could discern their future and ultimate fate!