'Wise' in the Bible

To receive instruction in wise behavior and the discipline of wise thoughtfulness,Righteousness, justice, and integrity;

The wise will hear and increase their learning,And the person of understanding will acquire wise counsel and the skill [to steer his course wisely and lead others to the truth],

To understand a proverb and a figure [of speech] or an enigma with its interpretation,And the words of the wise and their riddles [that require reflection].

Do not be wise in your own eyes;Fear the Lord [with reverent awe and obedience] and turn [entirely] away from evil.

The wise will inherit honor and glory,But dishonor and shame is conferred on fools.

That you may exercise discrimination and discretion (good judgment),And your lips may reserve knowledge and answer wisely [to temptation].

Go to the ant, O lazy one;Observe her ways and be wise,

“Heed (pay attention to) instruction and be wise,And do not ignore or neglect it.

Do not correct a scoffer [who foolishly ridicules and takes no responsibility for his error] or he will hate you;Correct a wise man [who learns from his error], and he will love you.

Give instruction to a wise man and he will become even wiser;Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.

If you are wise, you are wise for yourself [for your own benefit];If you scoff [thoughtlessly ridicule and disdain], you alone will pay the penalty.

The proverbs of Solomon:A wise son makes a father glad,But a foolish [stubborn] son [who refuses to learn] is a grief to his mother.

He who gathers during summer and takes advantage of his opportunities is a son who acts wisely,But he who sleeps during harvest and ignores the moment of opportunity is a son who acts shamefully.

The wise in heart [are willing to learn so they] will accept and obey commands (instruction),But the babbling fool [who is arrogant and thinks himself wise] will come to ruin.

Wise men store up and treasure knowledge [in mind and heart],But with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.

Where there is no [wise, intelligent] guidance, the people fall [and go off course like a ship without a helm],But in the abundance of [wise and godly] counselors there is victory.

He who troubles (mismanages) his own house will inherit the wind (nothing),And the foolish will be a servant to the wise-hearted.

The fruit of the [consistently] righteous is a tree of life,And he who is wise captures and wins souls [for God—he gathers them for eternity].

The way of the [arrogant] fool [who rejects God’s wisdom] is right in his own eyes,But a wise and prudent man is he who listens to counsel.

There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword,But the tongue of the wise brings healing.

A wise son heeds and accepts [and is the result of] his father’s discipline and instruction,But a scoffer does not listen to reprimand and does not learn from his errors.

The teaching of the wise is a fountain and source of life,So that one may avoid the snares of death.

He who walks [as a companion] with wise men will be wise,But the companions of [conceited, dull-witted] fools [are fools themselves and] will experience harm.

The wise woman builds her house [on a foundation of godly precepts, and her household thrives],But the foolish one [who lacks spiritual insight] tears it down with her own hands [by ignoring godly principles].

In the mouth of the [arrogant] fool [who rejects God] is a rod for his back,But the lips of the wise [when they speak with godly wisdom] will protect them.

A wise man suspects danger and cautiously avoids evil,But the fool is arrogant and careless.

The crown of the wise is their wealth [of wisdom],But the foolishness of [closed-minded] fools is [nothing but] folly.

The king’s favor and good will are toward a servant who acts wisely and discreetly,But his anger and wrath are toward him who acts shamefully.

The tongue of the wise speaks knowledge that is pleasing and acceptable,But the [babbling] mouth of fools spouts folly.

The lips of the wise spread knowledge [sifting it as chaff from the grain];But the hearts of [shortsighted] fools are not so.

A scoffer [unlike a wise man] resents one who rebukes him and tries to teach him;Nor will he go to the wise [for counsel and instruction].

A wise son makes a father glad,But a foolish man despises his mother.

The [chosen] path of life leads upward for the wise,That he may keep away from Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) below.

The ear that listens to and learns from the life-giving rebuke (reprimand, censure)Will remain among the wise.

The plans and reflections of the heart belong to man,But the [wise] answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

The wrath of a king is like a messenger of death,But a wise man will appease it.

The wise in heart will be called understanding,And sweet speech increases persuasiveness and learning [in both speaker and listener].

The heart of the wise instructs his mouth [in wisdom]And adds persuasiveness to his lips.

A wise servant will rule over the [unworthy] son who acts shamefully and brings disgrace [to the family]And [the worthy servant] will share in the inheritance among the brothers.

Even a [callous, arrogant] fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise;When he closes his lips he is regarded as sensible (prudent, discreet) and a man of understanding.

He who [willfully] separates himself [from God and man] seeks his own desire,He quarrels against all sound wisdom.

The words of a man’s mouth are like deep waters [copious and difficult to fathom];The fountain of [mature, godly] wisdom is like a bubbling stream [sparkling, fresh, pure, and life-giving].

The mind of the prudent [always] acquires knowledge,And the ear of the wise [always] seeks knowledge.

House and wealth are the inheritance from fathers,But a wise, understanding, and sensible wife is [a gift and blessing] from the Lord.

Listen to counsel, receive instruction, and accept correction,That you may be wise in the time to come.

Wine is a mocker, strong drink a riotous brawler;And whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise.

A wise king sifts out the wicked [from among the good]And drives the [threshing] wheel over them [to separate the chaff from the grain].

When the scoffer is punished, the naive [observes the lesson and] becomes wise;But when the wise and teachable person is instructed, he receives knowledge.

There is precious treasure and oil in the house of the wise [who prepare for the future],But a short-sighted and foolish man swallows it up and wastes it.

A wise man scales the city [walls] of the mightyAnd brings down the stronghold in which they trust.

Listen carefully and hear the words of the wise,And apply your mind to my knowledge;

My son, if your heart is wise,My heart will also be glad;

Listen, my son, and be wise,And direct your heart in the way [of the Lord].

The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice,And he who sires a wise child will have joy in him.

A wise man is strong,And a man of knowledge strengthens his power;

For by wise guidance you can wage your war,And in an abundance of [wise] counselors there is victory and safety.

These also are sayings of the wise:To show partiality in judgment is not good.

Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine goldIs a wise reprover to an ear that listens and learns.

Answer [and correct the erroneous concepts of] a fool according to his folly,Otherwise he will be wise in his own eyes [if he thinks you agree with him].

Do you see a man [who is unteachable and] wise in his own eyes and full of self-conceit?There is more hope for a fool than for him.

My son, be wise, and make my heart glad,That I may reply to him who reproaches (reprimands, criticizes) me.

He who keeps the law [of God and man] is a wise and discerning son,But he who is a companion of gluttons humiliates his father [and himself].

The rich man [who is conceited and relies on his wealth instead of God] is wise in his own eyes,But the poor man who has understanding [because he relies on God] is able to see through him.

Scoffers set a city afire [by stirring up trouble],But wise men turn away anger [and restore order with their good judgment].

If a wise man has a controversy with a foolish and arrogant man,The foolish man [ignores logic and fairness and] only rages or laughs, and there is no peace (rest, agreement).

A [shortsighted] fool always loses his temper and displays his anger,But a wise man [uses self-control and] holds it back.

Many seek the ruler’s favor,But justice for man comes from the Lord.

There are four things that are small on the earth,But they are exceedingly wise: