63 Bible Verses about Shrewdness

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

And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. And I say to you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

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

Therefore whoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

Whoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like. He is like a man who built a house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.

The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.

A fool despiseth his father's instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.

The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.

Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. Verily I say to you, that he will 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 provisions in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. In truth I say to you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.

But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Show me the tribute-money. And they brought to him a penny. And he saith to them, Whose is this image, and superscription?read more.
They say to him, Cesar's. Then saith he to them, Render therefore to Cesar, the things which are Cesar's; and to God, the things that are God's. When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left him, and departed.

Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it. And they brought it: and he saith to them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said to him, Cesar's. And Jesus answering, said to them, Render to Cesar the things that are Cesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they wondered at him.

But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, Why tempt ye me? Show me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Cesar's. And he said to them, Render therefore to Cesar the things which are Cesar's, and to God the things which are God's.read more.
And they could not take hold of his words before the people: and they marveled at his answer, and held their peace.

But as 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 the God of the dead, but of the living.

And concerning the dead that they rise; have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spoke to him, 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 the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.

Now that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he calleth 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 to him.

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

Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know, and see his place where his haunt is, and who hath seen him there: for it is told to me that he dealeth very subtilly. See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking-places where he hideth himself, and come ye 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 throughout all the thousands of Judah.

Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was towards Absalom. And Joab sent to Tekoah, and brought thence a wise woman, and said to her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead: And come to the king, and speak in 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 judgment.

And he dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin, to every fortified city: and he gave them provisions in abundance. And he desired many wives.

Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenances of the children that eat of the portion of the king's provision: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.

Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked by the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all its borders, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.

But Jesus said to her, Let the children first be satisfied: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to the dogs. And she answered and said to him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crums. And he said to her, For this saying, depart; the demon is gone out of thy daughter.

But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crums which fall from their master's table. Then Jesus answered and said to her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it to thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.

For thy mouth uttereth thy iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.

They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man; Who imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they assembled for war. They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adder's poison is under their lips. Selah.

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

And said, O full of all subtilty, and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

That we henceforth be no more 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 wilt show thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt show thyself upright. With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt contend.

With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt show thyself upright; With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt contend.

He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise. He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.

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

A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.read more.
Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

A good man obtaineth favor from the LORD: but a man of wicked devices he will condemn.

Woe to them 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 maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself: That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;

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

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

He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.

The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made: and he said to the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no wonder; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also are transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. And they sent out to him their disciples, with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute to Cesar, or not?

And they sent to him certain of the Pharisees, and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words. And when they had come, they say to him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Cesar, or not? Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it.

And they watched him, and sent forth spies, who should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him to the power and authority of the governor. And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God truly: Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Cesar, or not?

Then assembled the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, in the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him.

After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests, and the scribes, sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. But they said, Not on the feast-day, lest there should be an uproar of the people.

Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him: for they feared the people.

And Jacob said, Sell to me this day thy birth-right. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birth-right bring to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he swore to him: and he sold his birth-right to Jacob.

And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which was with her in the house, and put it upon Jacob her younger son: And she put the skins of the kids of the goats on his hands, and on the smooth part of his neck:

Come, let us deal wisely with them: lest they multiply, and it shall come to pass, that when there falleth out any war, they will join with our enemies, and fight against us, and depart from the land.

And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, They did work craftily, and went and made as if they had been embassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine-bottles, old, and rent, and bound up; And old shoes and patched upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and 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 league with us.

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

That Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some 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, whilst I leave it, and come down to you? Yet 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 heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall that thou mayest 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 shall it 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 sayest, but thou feignest them out of thy own heart. For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it may not be done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands. Afterward I came to 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 will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee. And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in. And lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. Therefore was he 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 be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile.