35 Bible Verses about Worldly Wisdom

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He takes the wise in their own craftiness.

This wisdom descends not from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly: How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed before the moth? They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish forever without any regarding it.read more.
Does not their excellence which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom.

He takes the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the cunning is quickly ended.

Should not the multitude of words be answered? and should a man full of talk be justified?

For a vain man will be wise, when a man is born a wild donkey's colt.

Men do therefore fear him: he respects not any that are wise of heart.

Be not wise in your own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom: but a man of understanding walks uprightly. Without counsel plans go wrong: but in the multitude of counselors they are established.

There is a way that seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

The rich man is wise in his own eyes; but the poor that has understanding will find him out.

For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increases knowledge increases sorrow.

A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left. Yea also, when he that is a fool walks by the way, his wisdom fails him, and he says to every one that he is a fool.

Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. Woe unto them that go the depths to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who sees us? and who knows us? Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the thing made say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing formed say of him that formed it, He had no understanding?

For you have trusted in your wickedness: you have said, None sees me. Your wisdom and your knowledge, it has perverted you; and you have said in your heart, I am, and there is none else besides me. Therefore shall evil come upon you; you shall not know from where it rises: and mischief shall fall upon you; you shall not be able to put it off: and desolation shall come upon you suddenly, which you shall not know.

Yea, the stork in the heavens knows her appointed times; and the turtledove and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the law of the LORD. How do you say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly he made it falsely; the pen of the scribes made it a lie. The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them?

Thus says the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, says the LORD.

Concerning Edom, thus says the LORD of hosts; Is wisdom no more in Teman? has counsel perished from the prudent? has their wisdom vanished?

But if your eye be evil, your whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness!

At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hid these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them unto babes.

Because, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.

And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.read more.
And my speech and my preaching were not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. But we speak wisdom among them that are mature: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nothing: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him. But God has revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man, except the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

O Timothy, keep that which is committed to your trust, avoiding profane and vain utterances, and oppositions of what is falsely called knowledge: Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen.

Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.

For you have trusted in your wickedness: you have said, None sees me. Your wisdom and your knowledge, it has perverted you; and you have said in your heart, I am, and there is none else besides me.

For my people are foolish, they have not known me; they are stupid children, and they have no understanding: they are wise to do evil, but how to do good they have no knowledge.

With your wisdom and with your understanding you have gotten yourself riches, and have gotten gold and silver into your treasuries:

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

But we speak wisdom among them that are mature: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nothing:

For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in self-imposed worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any value to the indulgence of the flesh.