63 Bible Verses about Shrewdness

Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Become ye therefore wise as serpents, and innocent as doves.

And his lord commended the unrighteous manager because he did shrewdly. Because the sons of this age are shrewder in their own generation than the sons of the light. And I say to you, make friends for yourselves from the mammon of unrighteousness, so that, when ye cease, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.

And he also said to his disciples, There was a certain rich man who had a manager, and this man was accused to him as squandering things possessed by him. And having called him, he said to him, What is this I hear about thee? Render the account of thy management, for thou can no longer manage. And the manager said within himself, What shall I do because my lord takes away the management from me? I am not able to dig. I am ashamed to beg.read more.
I know what I will do, so that when I am removed from the management they may receive me into their houses. And having summoned each one of his lord's debtors, he said to the first, How much do thou owe to my lord? And he said, A hundred measures of olive oil. And he said to him, Receive thy document, and having sat down, quickly write fifty. Next he said to another, And how much do thou owe? And he said, A hundred measures of wheat. And he says to him, Receive thy document, and write eighty.

Therefore every man, whoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will compare him to a wise man who built his house upon the rock. And the rain descended, and the torrents came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it had been founded upon the rock.

Every man who comes to me, and hears my sayings, and does them, I will show you to whom he is like. He is like a man who builds a house, who dug and excavated, and laid a foundation upon the rock. And when a flood developed, the stream beat upon that house, and could not shake it, for it had been founded upon the rock.

A prudent man conceals knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaims foolishness.

A simple man believes every word, but the prudent man looks well to his going.

A fool despises his father's correction, but he who regards reproof gets prudence.

The heart of a prudent man gets knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

Who then is the faithful and wise bondman, whom his lord appointed over his service, to give them the provision on time? Blessed is that bondman, whom his lord when he comes will find so doing. Truly I say to you, that he will appoint him over all things being possessed by him.

And the Lord said, Who then is the faithful and wise manager whom his lord will appoint over his service to give the provision on time? Blessed is that bondman whom his lord when he comes will find so doing. Truly I say to you, that he will appoint him over the things being possessed by him.

But Jesus having known their wickedness, said, Why do ye tempt me, ye hypocrites? Exhibit to me the tribute money. And they brought to him a denarius. And he says to them, Whose is this image and inscription?read more.
They say to him, Caesar's. Then he says to them, Therefore, render the things of Caesar to Caesar, and the things of God to God. And when they heard it, they marveled. And having left him, they departed.

Should we give, or should we not give? But Jesus, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, Why do ye test me? Bring me a denarius, so that I may see it. And they brought it. And he says to them, Whose is this image and inscription? And they said to him, Caesar's. And having answered, Jesus said to them, Render the things of Caesar to Caesar, and the things of God to God. And they marveled at him.

But having perceived their craftiness, he said to them, Why do ye try me? Display to me a denarius. Whose image and inscription has it? And having answered, they said, Caesar's. And he said to them, Then render the things of Caesar to Caesar, and the things of God to God.read more.
And they were unable to lay hold of his word before the people. And having marveled at his answer, they were silent.

But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken to you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not God of the dead, but of the living.

But about the dead, that they rise, have ye not read in the book of Moses, how God spoke to him at the bush, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but God of the living. Ye therefore are much misled.

But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the Bush when he calls Lord, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.

And when they continued asking him, after standing erect, he said to them, Let the innocent man of you first cast the stone at her.

Go, I pray you, make yet more sure, and know and see his place where his haunt is, [and] who has seen him there, for it is told me that he deals very shrewdly. See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking-places where he hides himself, and come ye again to me of a certainty. And I will go with you, and it shall come to pass, if he is in the land, that I will search him out among a

Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom. And Joab sent to Tekoa, and fetched from there a wise woman, and said to her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on mourning apparel, I pray thee, and do not anoint thyself with oil, but be as a woman who has a lon And go in to the king, and speak on this manner to him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.

And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged. And they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do justice.

And he dealt wisely, and dispersed all his sons throughout all the lands of Judah and Benjamin, to every fortified city. And he gave them provisions in abundance. And he sought [for them] many wives.

Then Daniel said to the steward whom the ruler of the eunuchs had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, Test thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat, and water to drink. Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the youths that eat of the king's food. And as thou see, deal with thy servants.

Then Herod, when he saw that he was scorned by the wise men, was exceedingly angry, and having sent forth, he killed all the boys in Bethlehem, and in all the borders of it, from two years old and under, according to the time that

And Jesus said to her, Allow the children first be filled, for it is not right to take the children's bread and cast it to the house dogs. But she answered and says to him, Yes, Lord, for even the house dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs. And he said to her, Because of this saying, go thou. The demon has gone out of thy daughter.

And having answered, he said, It is not right to take the children's bread and cast it to the house dogs. But she said, Yes, Lord, for even the house dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from the table of their masters. Then Jesus having answered, said to her, O woman, great is thy faith. Be it done for thee as thou desire. And her daughter was healed from that hour.

They search out iniquities, [saying,] We have accomplished a diligent search. And the inward part of man and the heart [are] deep.

For thine iniquity teaches thy mouth. And thou choose the tongue of the crafty.

They take crafty counsel against thy people, and consult together against thy hidden ones.

Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man. Preserve me from the violent man, [and men] who devise mischievous things in their heart. They gather themselves continually together for war. They have sharpened their tongue like a serpent. Adders' poison is under their lips. Selah.

And, behold, there met him a woman attired like a harlot, and wily of heart.

said, O man full of all deceit and all recklessness, thou son of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, will thou not cease distorting the straight ways of Lord?

So that we may no longer be childish, tossed about and carried about by every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men in craftiness with the methodology of error.

With the merciful thou will show thyself merciful. With the perfect man thou will show thyself perfect. With the pure thou will show thyself pure. And with the perverse thou will show thyself contrary.

With the merciful thou will show thyself merciful. With the perfect man thou will show thyself perfect. With the pure thou will show thyself pure. And with the perverse thou will show thyself contrary.

He frustrates the devices of the crafty so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise. He takes the wise in their own craftiness, and the counsel of the cunning is carried headlong.

LORD knows the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.

A worthless person, a man of iniquity, is he who walks with a perverse mouth, who winks with his eyes, who speaks with his feet, who makes signs with his fingers, in whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who sows discord.read more.
Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly. Suddenly he shall be broken, and that without remedy.

A good man shall obtain favor of LORD, but he will condemn a man of wicked devices.

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

Thus says LORD, thy Redeemer, and he who formed thee from the womb: I am LORD, who makes all things, who stretches forth the heavens alone, who spreads abroad the earth (who is with me?), who frustrates the signs of the liars, and makes diviners mad, who turns wise men backward, and makes their knowledge foolish,

For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will frustrate the understanding of those of understanding.

Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder. {I will destroy the wisdom of the wise (LXX/NT)}, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, He who catches the wise in their craftiness, and again, Lord knows the thoughts of the wise that they are vain.

He who is soon angry will deal foolishly. And a man of wicked devices is hated.

The north wind brings forth rain. So does a backbiting tongue, an angry countenance.

But I fear lest somehow, as the serpent enticed Eve by his craftiness, so your thoughts might be corrupted from the simplicity in the Christ.

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, Yea, has God said, Ye shall not eat of any tree of the garden?

so that we may not be exploited by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his methods.

For such men are FALSE apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves into apostles of Christ. And no marvel, for even Satan disguises himself into an agent of light. Therefore, it is no great thing if his helpers also disguise themselves as helpers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

Then the Pharisees having departed, they took counsel how they might trap him in his talk. And they send out their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying, Teacher, we know that thou are true, and teach the way of God in truth, and it is not a concern to thee about a man, for thou look not to the personage of men. Tell us therefore, what does it seem to thee? Is it permitted to give tribute to Caesar or not?

And they send some of the Pharisees and of the Herodians to him, so that they might catch him in talk. And when they came, they say to him, Teacher, we have seen that thou are true, and it is not a care to thee about any man, for thou look not to a personage of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it permitted to give tribute Should we give, or should we not give? But Jesus, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, Why do ye test me? Bring me a denarius, so that I may see it.

And having watched him, they sent forth insidious men pretending themselves to be righteous, so that they might take hold of his word, in order to deliver him up to the rule and to the authority of the governor. And they questioned him, saying, Teacher, we know that thou speak and teach rightly, and thou do not accept a personage, but teach the way of God in truth, Is it permitted for us to give tribute to Caesar or not?

Then the chief priests, and the scholars, and the elders of the people, assembled together to the courtyard of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and they deliberated so that they might take Jesus by trickery, and kill him.

Now after two days was the Passover and the unleavened bread. And the chief priests and the scholars sought how, having take him with trickery, they might kill him, but they said, Not during the feast, lest there will be an uproar of the people.

Now the feast of unleavened bread was coming near, which is called Passover. And the chief priests and the scholars sought how they might kill him, for they feared the people.

And Jacob said, First sell me thy birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am about to die, and what profit shall the birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me first. And he swore to him, and he sold his birthright to Jacob.

And Rebekah took the goodly garments of Esau her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son. And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck.

Come, let us deal craftily with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when war happens, they also join themselves to our enemies, and fight against us, and get them up out of the land.

But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, they also worked shrewdly, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their donkeys, and wine-skins, old and torn and bound up, and old and patched shoes upon their feet, and old garments upon them, and all the bread of their provision was dry and became moldy.read more.
And they went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him, and to the men of Israel, We have come from a far country, now therefore make ye a covenant with us.

But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother. And Jonadab was a very sly man.

that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, Come, let us meet together in [one of] the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief. And I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it, and come down to you? And they sent to me four times after this sort, and I answered them after the same manner.read more.
Then Sanballat sent his servant to me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand in which was written, It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel, for which cause thou are building the wall. And thou would be their king according to these words. And thou have also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah. And now it shall be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together. Then I sent to him, saying, There are no such things done as thou say, but thou imagine them out of thine own heart. For they all would have made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work that it not be done. But now, [O God], strengthen thou my hands. And I went to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabel, who was shut up, and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple. For they will come to And I said, Should such a man as I flee? And who is there, that, being such as I, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in. And I discerned, and, lo, God had not sent him, but he pronounced this prophecy against me, and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. For this cause he was hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me.

But let it be. I did not burden you. Nevertheless, being clever, I caught you with bait.