11 The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools;

the wise counselors of Pharaoh give senseless advice.

How can you say to Pharaoh,

“I am one of the wise men,

a disciple of the ancient kings”?

11 The princes of Zoan are utterly foolish;

the wisest counselors of Pharaoh give stupid counsel.

How can you say to Pharaoh,

“I am a son of the wise,

a son of ancient kings”?

11 Surely the princes of Zoan are fools,

The counsel of the wise counsellers of Pharaoh is become brutish:

How say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise,

The son of ancient kings?

11 What fools are the officials of Zoan!

Their best counsel to the king of Egypt is stupid and wrong.

Will they still boast to Pharaoh of their wisdom?

Will they dare brag about all their wise ancestors?

11 Surely the princes of Zoan are fools;

Pharaoh’s wise counselors give foolish counsel.

How do you say to Pharaoh, “I am the son of the wise,

The son of ancient kings?”

11 The officers of the city of Zoan are fools;

the wise men who advise the king of Egypt give wrong advice.

How can you say to him, ‘I am wise’?

How can you say, ‘I am from the old family of the kings’?

11 They are but fools, the princes of Zoan, the wise counsellors of Pharaoh: their counsel is become senseless. How say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings?

11 The leaders of Zoan are nothing but fools. 

The wisest of Pharaoh’s counselors gives stupid advice. 

How can you tell Pharaoh, 

“I’m a descendant of wise men, 

a descendant of ancient kings”? 

11 The princes of Zoan are complete fools;

Pharaoh’s wisest advisers give stupid advice!

How can you say to Pharaoh,

“I am one of the wise,

a student of eastern kings”?

11 The princes of Zoan are utterly foolish;

the wise counselors of Pharaoh give stupid counsel.

How can you say to Pharaoh,

“I am one of the sages,

a descendant of ancient kings”?

11 Surely the princes of Zoan are foolish;

the wise of the counselors of Pharaoh give senseless counsel.

How can you say to Pharaoh,

“I myself am a son of sages,

a descendant of ancient kings”?

11 The officials of the city of Zoan are very foolish.

Pharaoh’s wise men give advice that doesn’t make any sense.

How can they dare to say to Pharaoh,

“We’re among the wise men”?

How can they say to him,

“We’re like the advisers to the kings of long ago”?

11 The princes of Zoan are mere fools;

The advice of Pharaoh’s wisest advisers has become stupid.

How can you men say to Pharaoh,

“I am a son of the wise, a son of ancient kings”?