63 Bible Verses about Shrewdness

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

And the lord commended the unjust steward because he had done discreetly; for the sons of this age are in their generation more prudent than the sons of light. And I say unto you, Make friends unto yourselves with the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when these fail, you may be received into eternal dwellings.

And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. And he called him and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? Give an account of thy stewardship, for thou may no longer be steward. Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord takes the stewardship away from me; I cannot dig, and I am ashamed to beg.read more.
I know what I shall do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. So he called each one of his lord's debtors unto him and said unto the first, How much dost thou owe unto my lord? And he said, A hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill and sit down quickly and write fifty. Then said he to another, And how much dost thou owe? And he said, A hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill and write eighty.

Therefore, whosoever hears these words of mine and does them, I will liken him unto a prudent man, who built his house upon the rock; and the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, and it did not fall, for it was founded upon a rock.

Whosoever comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you to whom he is like: he is like a man who built a house and dug deep and laid the foundation upon rock; and when the flood arose, the river beat vehemently upon that house and could not shake it, for it was founded upon rock.

The sane man conceals his wisdom: but the heart of fools proclaims foolishness.

The simple believes every word, but the prudent man understands his steps.

The fool despises his father's chastening, but he that regards reproof shall become prudent.

The heart of the man of understanding acquires wisdom, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

Who then is the faithful and prudent slave, whom his lord has made ruler over his household to give them food in due season? Blessed is that slave whom his lord when he comes shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward whom his lord shall make ruler over his household to give them their portion of food in due season? Blessed is that slave whom his lord when he comes shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.

But Jesus perceived their wickedness and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Show me the coin of the tribute. And they presented unto him a denarius. And he said unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?read more.
They say unto him, Caesar's. Then said he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's. When they had heard these words, they marvelled and left him and went away.

Shall we give or shall we not give? Then he, understanding their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? Bring me the coin that I may see it. And they brought it. And he said unto them, Of whom is this image and inscription? And they said unto him, Of Caesar. And Jesus, answering, said unto them, Render that which is of Caesar unto Caesar, and that which is of God unto God. And they marvelled at this.

But he, perceiving their craftiness, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have? They answered and said, Caesar's. And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things which are God's.read more.
And they could not take hold of his words before the people, and they marvelled at his answer and were silent.

But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which is spoken unto you by God, who saith, I AM the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

And regarding the dead who are to rise, have ye not read in the book of Moses how in the bush God spoke unto him, saying, I Am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob? He is not God of the dead, but God of the living; ye therefore do greatly err.

Now that the dead are raised, even Moses showed this at the bush when he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living; for all live unto him.

So when they continued asking him, he lifted himself up and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him be the first to cast a stone at her.

Go, I pray you, prepare yet and know and see his place where he places his foot and who has seen him there, for it is told me that he deals with great prudence. See, therefore, and take knowledge of all the hiding places where he hides himself and come again to me with the 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 with all the thousands of Judah.

Now Joab, the son of Zeruiah, perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom. And Joab sent to Tekoa and brought an astute woman from there and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner and put on mourning apparel and do not anoint thyself with oil, but be as a woman that has mourned for a long time for someone who is dead and come to the king and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.

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

And he caused him to be instructed and dispersed of all his sons throughout all the lands of Judah and Benjamin, unto every fenced city; and he gave them provisions in abundance. And he desired many wives.

Then Daniel said to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, Prove, now, with thy slaves 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 countenances of the young men that eat of the portion of the king's food; and as thou seest, deal with thy slaves.

Then Herod, seeing that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth and sent forth and killed all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had understood of the wise men.

But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled, for it is not good to take the children's bread and to cast it unto the dogs. And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs. And he said unto her, For this word go; the demon has gone out of thy daughter.

But he answered and said, It is not good to take the children's bread and to cast it to the little dogs. And she said, Yes, Lord, yet the little dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou desire. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

They search out iniquities; they perfect and put into effect that which they have invented in the inward thought of each one of them and that which they have devised in their heart.

For thy mouth has declared thine iniquity, and thou hast chosen the tongue of the crafty.

They have taken prudent counsel in secret against thy people and consulted against thy hidden ones.

Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man; preserve me from the man of violence. Who devise evil in their heart; they are continually gathered together for war. They have sharpened their tongue like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah.

and, behold, a woman met him with the attire of a harlot, and subtil of heart.

and said, O full of all deception and all licentiousness, thou son of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

That we no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness, by which they lie in wait to deceive,

With the merciful thou art good, and with the perfect thou art upright. With the pure thou art pure, and with the perverse thou art an adversary.

With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; with a perfect man thou wilt show thyself perfect; with the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; and with the perverse thou wilt show thyself adversary.

He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise. He takes the wise in their own prudence, and the counsel of his adversaries is turned to folly.

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

A wicked man of Belial walks with a perverse mouth. He winks with his eyes, he speaks with his feet, he teaches with his fingers; there is perversion in his heart; he devises evil continually; he sows discord.read more.
Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly; suddenly he shall be broken without remedy.

The good man shall attain the favour of the LORD, but the man of wicked thoughts he will condemn.

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

Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that makes all things, that stretches forth the heavens alone, that spreads abroad the earth by myself; that undoes the signs of the fortune tellers and makes the diviners mad; that turns the wise men backward and makes their wisdom fade away;

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

Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvellous work among this people with a fearful miracle: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the prudence of their prudent men shall fade away.

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He takes the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

He that is soon angry shall deal foolishly, and the man of wicked devices shall be hated.

The north wind drives away rain, so does an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.

But I fear that as the serpent deceived Eve through his craftiness, so your senses should be corrupted in some way, and ye should fall from the simplicity that is in the Christ.

Now the serpent was more astute than all the animals of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Has God indeed said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

lest Satan should deceive us, for we do not ignore his devices.

For these false apostles are deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And it is no marvel, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers transform themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.

Then the Pharisees left and took counsel how they might entangle him in his word. And they sent out unto him their disciples with those of Herod, saying, Master, we know that thou art a lover of truth and teachest the way of God with truth and that thou takest care for no man, for thou art no respecter of persons of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar or not?

And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians to catch him in his words. And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art a man of truth who regards no man; for thou dost not look upon the appearance of men, but dost with truth teach the way of God; is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not? Shall we give or shall we not give? Then he, understanding their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? Bring me the coin that I may see it.

And they watched him and sent forth spies who feigned themselves just men that they might take hold of him as he was speaking, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor. And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither dost thou accept the person of any, but teachest the way of God with truth; Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar or no?

Then the princes of the priests and the scribes and the elders of the people assembled together in the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and took counsel that they might take Jesus by guile and kill him.

Two days after was the passover and the days of unleavened bread; and the princes of the priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, that they might kill him. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people.

Now the feast of unleavened bread drew near, which is called the Passover. And the princes of the priests and scribes sought how they might kill him, but they feared the people.

And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die; and what profit shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he swore unto him and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.

And Rebekah took good clothes of her eldest son Esau, 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,

Now, therefore, let us be wise concerning him, that he not multiply and it come to pass that when war comes, he shall also join with our enemies and fight against us and so leave the land.

But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai, they worked with prudence and went and made as if they had been ambassadors and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old and rent and bound up, and old patched shoes upon their feet, and old garments upon them, and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy.read more.
Thus they came unto Joshua to the camp at Gilgal and said unto him and to the men of Israel, We are 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 astute man.

that Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they had thought to do me evil. And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work so that I cannot come down; why should the work cease, whilst I leave it and come down to you? Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort, and I answered them after the same manner.read more.
Then Sanballat sent his slave to say the same thing for the fifth time with an open letter in his hand, in which was written, It is reported among the Gentiles, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel, for which cause thou dost build the wall, that thou may be their king, according to these words. And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah! And now these words shall be heard by the king. Come now, therefore, and let us take counsel together. Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou dost feign them out of thine own heart. For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it not be done. Now, therefore, O God, strengthen my hands. Afterward I came in secret unto the house of Shemaiah, the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabeel, 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 are coming to slay thee; yea, tonight they will come to slay thee. Then I said, Should such a man as I flee? And who is there as I who could go into the temple and live? I will not go in. And I perceived that God had not sent him, but that he pronounced this prophecy against me, for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. For he was bribed to make me be thus afraid and sin and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me.

But be it so, I did not burden you; nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile.