31 Bible Verses about Shrewdness

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

And the lord praised the steward of unrighteousness, because he acted prudently; because the sons of this age are more prudent toward their own generation, than the sons of light. And I say to you, make to yourselves friends out of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when it fails, they may receive you into everlasting tabernacles.

And He said also to His disciples, "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and the same was accused to him as squandering his goods. And, calling him, he said to him, 'What is this I hear of you? Render the account of your stewardship; for you can be no longer steward.' And the steward said in himself, 'What shall I do? because my lord takes away the stewardship from me! To dig, I have not strength; to beg, I am ashamed!read more.
I resolved what to do; that, when I am removed from the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.' And, calling to him each one of his lord's debtors, he said to the first, 'How much do you owe my lord?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' And he said to him, 'Take your accounts, and, sitting down, quickly write, Fifty.' After that he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' He says to him, 'Take your accounts, and write, Four score.'

"Every one, therefore, who hears these words of Mine, and does them, shall be likened to a prudent man, who, indeed, built his house upon the rock; and the rain descended, and the streams came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not, for it had been founded on the rock.

"Every one who comes to Me, and hears My words, and does them, I will show you to whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep, and laid a foundation on the rock; and, a flood coming, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it; because it was well built.

"Who, then, is the faithful and wise servant whom his lord set over his household, to give them their food in season? Happy is that servant whom his lord, when he comes, shall find so doing. Verily I say to you, that he will appoint him over all his possessions.

And the Lord said, "Who, then, is the faithful steward, the wise one, whom his lord will appoint over his household to give the portion of food in due season? Happy that servant, whom his lord, when he comes, shall find so doing. Of a truth I say to you, that he will appoint him over all his goods.

But Jesus, knowing their wickedness, said, "Why are ye tempting Me, hypocrites? Show me the tribute-coin." And they brought Him a denary. And He saith to them, "Whose is this image and inscription?"read more.
They say to Him, "Caesar's." Then saith He to them, "Render, therefore, the things of Caesar to Caesar, and the things of God to God." And, hearing it, they wondered: and, leaving Him, they went away.

Shall we give, or shall we not give?" But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why are ye tempting Me? Bring Me a denary, that I may see it." And they brought it. And He saith to them, "Whose is this image and inscription?" And they said to Him, "Caesar's." And Jesus said to them, "Render to Caesar the things of Caesar, and to God the things of God." And they wondered exceedingly at Him.

But, perceiving their craftiness, He said to them, "Show Me a denary. Whose image and inscription has it?" And, answering; they said, "Caesar's." And He said to them, "Then, render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."read more.
And they were not able to lay hold of any saying of His before the people; and, marvelling at His answer, they were silent.

"But concerning the resurrection of the dead, did 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?' He is not the God of the dead, but of the living."

But, concerning the dead, that they are raised, did ye not read in the book of Moses, at the 'Bush,' how God spake 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 of the living: ye do greatly err."

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

And, as they continued asking Him, He, having raised Himself up, said to them, "Let the sinless one among you first cast a stone at her."

Then Herod, seeing that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly enraged; and, having sent forth, he slew all the male children in Bethlehem, and in all its borders, from two years old and under, according to the time which he exactly learned from the wise men.

And He said to her, "Suffer the children first to be satisfied; for it is not good to take the children's bread, and cast it to the little dogs." But she answered, and says to Him, "Yes, Lord; even the little dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs." And He said to her, "Because of this word go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter."

And He, answering, said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and cast it to the little dogs." But she said, "Yes, Lord; for even the little dogs eat of the crumbs falling from the master's table." Then Jesus, answering, said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! be it done to you as you wish." And her daughter was healed from that hour.

said, "O full of all guile, and all villainy, son of the Devil, enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the right ways of the Lord?

that we may no longer be babes, billow-tossed, and carried about with every wind of teaching, in the sleight of men, in the craftiness suited to the artifice of error;

For it has been written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning will I set aside."

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God; for it has been written, "He Who taketh the wise in their craftiness." And again, "The Lord knoweth the reasonings of the wise, that they are vain."

but I fear lest, by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and purity which is toward Christ.

that we might not be over-reached by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ; and no wonder, for even Satan transforms himself into an angel of light! It is no great thing, therefore, if his ministers also transform themselves as ministers of righteousness; whose end will be according to their works.

Then the Pharisees, going, took counsel how they might ensnare Him in speech. And they send to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that Thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, and carest not for any one; for Thou dost not look into the face of men: tell us, therefore, what thinkest Thou: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not?"

And they send to Him some of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, that they may entrap Him in speech. And, coming, they say to Him, "Teacher, we know that Thou art true, and carest not for any one; for Thou lookest not into the face of men, but in truth teachest the way of God. Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not? Shall we give, or shall we not give?" But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why are ye tempting Me? Bring Me a denary, that I may see it."

And, watching Him, they sent forth spies, feigning themselves to be righteous, that they might take hold of His speech, so as to deliver Him up to the rule and the authority of the governor. And they asked Him, saying, "Teacher, we know that Thou sayest and teachest rightly, and regardest no person, but teachest the way of God in truth. Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?"

Then the high priests and the elders of the people were gathered together into the court of the high priest who was called Caiaphas; and they consulted together that they might take Jesus by guile and kill Him.

Now after two days was the passover, and the feast of unleavened bread; and the high priests and the scribes were seeking how, taking Him by guile, they might kill Him; for they said, "Not during the feast, lest there should be an uproar of the people."

Now the feast of unleavened bread, which is called the Passover, was drawing near; and the high priests and scribes were seeking how they might put Him to death; for they were fearing the people.

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