68 Bible Verses about Folly, Effects Of

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

And unto man he said, 'Behold, to fear the LORD is wisdom: and to forsake evil, is understanding.'"

{To the Chanter, a Psalm of David} The fool hath said in his heart, "Tush, there is no God." They are corrupt, and become abominable in their doings; there is none that doeth good, no not one.

I will hearken what the LORD God will say concerning me; for he shall speak peace unto his people, and to his saints, that they turn not themselves unto foolishness.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all they that do thereafter. The praise of it endureth forever.

Wisdom crieth without and putteth forth her voice in the streets. She calleth before the congregation in the open gates, and showeth her words through the city, saying, "O ye children, how long will ye love childishness? How long will the scorners delight in scorning, and the unwise be enemies unto knowledge?read more.
O turn you unto my correction: lo, I will express my mind unto you, and make you understand my words. Seeing then that I have called, and ye refused it: I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded it, but all my counsels have ye despised and set my corrections to naught. Therefore shall I also laugh in your destruction, and mock you, when the thing that ye fear cometh upon you: even when the thing that ye be afraid of, falleth in suddenly like a storm, and your misery like a tempest: yea, when trouble and heaviness cometh upon you.

Whoso loveth wisdom, will be content to be reformed; but he that hateth to be reproved, is a fool.

A fool hath no delight in understanding, but only in those things wherein his heart rejoiceth.

Wherefore, be ye not unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

An unwise man will not know this, and a fool will not understand it -

Therefore thought I in myself, "Peradventure they are so simple and foolish, that they understand nothing of the LORD's way, and judgments of our God.

And the Lord said to him, "Now do ye, O Pharisees, make clean the outside of the cup, and of the platter: but your inward parts are full of ravening and wickedness. Ye fools: did not he that made that which is without, make that which is within also?

inasmuch as when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful: but waxed full of vanities in their imaginations. And their foolish hearts were blinded.

Thou fool, that which thou sowest, is not quickened except it die.

Foolish and unlearned questions put from thee, remembering that they do but gender strife.

Foolish questions, and genealogies, and brawlings and strife about the law; avoid, for they are unprofitable, and superfluous.

Foolish men were plagued for their offense, and because of their wickedness.

"Hear this, thou foolish and indiscreet people: ye have eyes, but ye see not; ears have ye, but ye hear not. Fear ye not me, sayeth the LORD? Are ye not ashamed, to look me in the face? Which bind the sea with the sand, so that it cannot pass his bounds: for though it rage, yet can it do nothing; and though the waves thereof do swell, yet may they not go over. But this people hath a false and an obstinate heart, they are departed and gone away from me.read more.
They think not in their hearts, 'O let us fear the LORD our God, that giveth us rain, early and late, when need is: which keepeth ever still the harvest for us yearly.' "Nevertheless, your misdeeds have turned these from you, and your sins have robbed you hereof.

He that trusteth in his own heart, is a fool; but he that dealeth wisely, shall be safe.

He that trusteth in his riches shall have a fall; but the righteous shall flourish as the green leaf.

Look: what a fool taketh in hand, he thinketh it well done; but he that is wise, will be counseled.

There is a way which some men think to be right; but the end thereof leadeth unto death.

But God said unto him, 'Thou fool, this night will they fetch away thy soul again from thee. Then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided?'

God, thou knowest my simpleness, and my faults are not hid from thee.

He that hath understanding can hide his wisdom; but an indiscreet heart telleth out his foolishness.

A wise man doth all things with discretion; but a fool will declare his folly.

A wise tongue commendeth knowledge; a foolish mouth babbleth out nothing but foolishness.

but they shall prevail no longer. For their madness shall be uttered unto all men as theirs was.

The wisdom of him that hath understanding is to take heed unto his way; but the foolishness of the unwise deceiveth.

An ignorant body believeth all things; but whoso hath understanding, looketh well to his goings.

and beheld the simple people: and among other young folks I spied one young fool going over the streets, by the corner, in the way toward the harlot's house; in the twilight of the evening, when it began now to be night and dark.read more.
And behold, there met him a woman with open tokens of a harlot. Only her heart was hid. She was full of loud words and ready to dally: whose feet could not abide in the house. Now is she without, now in the streets, and lurketh in every corner. She caught the young man, kissed him, and was not ashamed, saying, "I had a vow to pay, and this day I perform it. Therefore came I forth to meet thee, that I might seek thy face, and so I have found thee. I have decked my bed with coverings and clothes of Egypt. My bed have I made to smell of Myrrh, Aloes, and Cinnamon. Come, let us lie together, and take our pleasure till it be daylight. For the goodman is not at home, he is gone far off. He hath taken the bag of money with him: who can tell when he cometh home?" Thus with many sweet words she overcame him, and with her flattering lips she enticed him suddenly to follow her - as it were an ox to the slaughter, and like as it were a fool that laugheth when he goeth to the stocks to be punished - so long till she hath wounded his liver with her dart: like as if a bird hasted to the snare, not knowing that the peril of his life lieth thereupon.

A foolish restless woman, full of words, and such one as hath no knowledge, sitteth in the doors of her house upon a stool above in the city, to call such as go by, and walk straight in their ways.read more.
"Who so is ignorant," sayeth she, "let him come hither." And to the unwise she sayeth, "Stolen waters are sweet, and the bread that is privily eaten, hath a good taste." But they consider not that death is there, and that her guests go down to hell.

Ephraim is like a dove, that is beguiled, and hath no heart. Now call they upon the Egyptians, now go they to the Assyrians:

O foolish Galatians: who hath bewitched you, that ye should not believe the truth, to whom Jesus Christ was described before the eyes, and among you crucified?

A wise man seeth the plague and hideth himself; but the foolish go on still and are punished.

And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came: and they that were ready, went in with him to the wedding, and the gate was shut up.

for the turning away of the unwise shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall be their own destruction.

Because he would not be reformed, he shall die: and for his great foolishness he shall be destroyed.

A wise man will receive warning; but a fool will sooner be smitten in the face.

They that will be rich, fall into temptation and snares, and into many foolish and noisome lusts, which drown men in perdition and destruction.

The wise shall have honour in possession, but shame is the promotion that fools shall have.

He that giveth sentence in a matter before he hear it, is a fool, and worthy to be confounded.

All carvers of Images are but vain, and the carved images that they love can do no good. They must bear record themselves, that seeing they can neither see nor understand they shall be confounded.

therefore shall the wise be confounded. They shall be afraid and taken, for lo, they have cast out the word of the LORD: what wisdom can then be among them?

An indiscreet son is a grief unto his father; and a heaviness unto his mother that bare him.

Proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father; but an indiscreet son is a heaviness unto his mother.

A wise son maketh a glad father; but an indiscreet body shameth his mother.

An unwise body bringeth himself in to sorrow; and the father of a fool can have no joy.

Understanding is a well of life unto him that hath it; as for the chastening of fools, it is but foolishness.

My wounds stink, and are corrupt, through my foolishness.

A fool's lips are ever brawling, and his mouth provoketh unto battle.

Unto the horse belongeth a whip, to the Ass a bridle, and a rod to the fool's back.

There shall be foot paths and common streets: this shall be called the holy way. No unclean person shall go through it, for the LORD himself shall go with them that way, and the ignorant shall not err.

And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came: and they that were ready, went in with him to the wedding, and the gate was shut up. Afterwards came also the other virgins, saying, 'Master, master open to us.' But he answered, and said, 'Verily I say unto you: I know you not.'

Though thou shouldest bray a fool with a pedestal in a mortar like oatmeal, yet will not his foolishness go from him.

A wise heart will seek after knowledge; but the mouths of fools meddle with foolishness.

Like as the dog turneth again to his vomit, even so a fool beginneth his foolishness again afresh.

he said unto Moses, "Oh I beseech thee my lord, put not the sin upon us which we have foolishly committed and sinned.

Therefore take seven oxen and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, offer up also for yourselves a burnt offering: and let my servant Job pray for you. Him will I accept, and not deal with you after your foolishness: in that ye have not spoken the thing which is right, like as my servant Job hath done."

For we ourselves also were in times past, unwise, disobedient, deceived, in danger to lusts, and to divers manners of voluptuousness, living in maliciousness and envy, full of hate, hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of our saviour God to man ward appeared, not of the deeds of righteousness which we wrought, but of his mercy, he saved us, by the fountain of the new birth, and with the renewing of the holy ghost,

If thou smitest a scornful person, the ignorant shall take better heed; and if thou reprovest one that hath understanding, he will be the wiser.

When the scornful is punished, the ignorant take the better heed; and when a wise man is warned, he will receive the more understanding.

Foolishness sticketh in the heart of the lad; but the rod of correction driveth it away.

The rod and correction minister wisdom; but if a child be not looked unto, he bringeth his mother to shame.

Take heed unto knowledge, O ye ignorant; be wise in heart, O ye fools.

Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding; and he will teach them that are unlearned.

They also which have been of an erroneous spirit shall come to understanding, and they that have been scornful shall learn doctrine."

an informer of them which lack discretion, a teacher of the unlearned, which hast the example of that which ought to be known, and of the truth in the law.