2182 verses about Discernment

I, Daniel, fainted, and was sick for some days. Then I rose up, and did the king’s business. I wondered at the vision, but no one understood it.

As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil has come on us. Yet have we not entreated the favor of Yahweh our God, that we should turn from our iniquities, and have discernment in your truth.

He instructed me, and talked with me, and said, Daniel, “I have now come to give you wisdom and understanding.

At the beginning of your petitions the commandment went out, and I have come to tell you; for you are greatly beloved. Therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision.

“Know therefore and discern that from the going out of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem to the Anointed One, the prince, will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It will be built again, with street and moat, even in troubled times.

In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, even a great warfare. He understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.

I lifted up my eyes, and looked, and behold, there was a man clothed in linen, whose thighs were adorned with pure gold of Uphaz.

I, Daniel, alone saw the vision; for the men who were with me didn’t see the vision; but a great quaking fell on them, and they fled to hide themselves.

Yet I heard the voice of his words. When I heard the voice of his words, then I fell into a deep sleep on my face, with my face toward the ground.

He said to me, Daniel, you greatly beloved man, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright; for I have been sent to you, now. When he had spoken this word to me, I stood trembling.

Then he said to me, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel; for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard. I have come for your words’ sake.

Behold, one in the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth, and spoke and said to him who stood before me, “My lord, by reason of the vision my sorrows have overtaken me, and I retain no strength.

But I will tell you that which is inscribed in the writing of truth. There is no one who holds with me against these, but Michael your prince.

After the treaty made with him he will work deceitfully; for he will come up, and will become strong, with a small people.

He will corrupt those who do wickedly against the covenant by flatteries; but the people who know their God will be strong, and take action.

Now when they fall, they will be helped with a little help; but many will join themselves to them with flatteries.

I heard, but I didn’t understand. Then I said, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these things?”

Prostitution, wine, and new wine take away understanding.

Strangers have devoured his strength, and he doesn’t realize it. Indeed, gray hairs are here and there on him, and he doesn’t realize it.

“Ephraim is like an easily deceived dove, without understanding. They call to Egypt. They go to Assyria.

I have also spoken to the prophets, and I have multiplied visions; and by the ministry of the prophets I have used parables.

Who is wise, that he may understand these things? Who is prudent, that he may know them? For the ways of Yahweh are right, and the righteous walk in them; But the rebellious stumble in them.

Neither does one jostle another; they march everyone in his path, and they burst through the defenses, and don’t break ranks.

Do two walk together, unless they have agreed?

Will a lion roar in the thicket, when he has no prey? Does a young lion cry out of his den, if he has caught nothing?

Can a bird fall in a trap on the earth, where no snare is set for him? Does a snare spring up from the ground, when there is nothing to catch?

Surely the Lord Yahweh will do nothing, unless he reveals his secret to his servants the prophets.

Therefore a prudent person keeps silent in such a time, for it is an evil time.

Don’t stand in the crossroads to cut off those of his who escape. Don’t deliver up those of his who remain in the day of distress.

Shouldn’t I be concerned for Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred twenty thousand persons who can’t discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much livestock?”

“Therefore night is over you, with no vision, and it is dark to you, that you may not divine; and the sun will go down on the prophets, and the day will be black over them.

The seers shall be disappointed, and the diviners confounded. Yes, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer from God.”

But they don’t know the thoughts of Yahweh, neither do they understand his counsel; for he has gathered them like the sheaves to the threshing floor.

I will destroy witchcraft from your hand; and you shall have no soothsayers.

He who dashes in pieces has come up against you. Keep the fortress! Watch the way! Strengthen your waist! Fortify your power mightily!

He summons his picked troops. They stumble on their way. They dash to its wall, and the protective shield is put in place.

The revelation which Habakkuk the prophet saw.

“Look among the nations, watch, and wonder marvelously; for I am working a work in your days, which you will not believe though it is told you.

I will stand at my watch, and set myself on the ramparts, and will look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.

Yahweh answered me, “Write the vision, and make it plain on tablets, that he who runs may read it.

Now therefore this is what Yahweh of Armies says: Consider your ways.

This is what Yahweh of Armies says: “Consider your ways.

“I had a vision in the night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in a ravine; and behind him there were red, brown, and white horses.

Then I asked, ‘My lord, what are these?’” The angel who talked with me said to me, “I will show you what these are.”

The angel who talked with me came again, and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep.

He said to me, “What do you see?” I said, “I have seen, and behold, a lamp stand all of gold, with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it; there are seven pipes to each of the lamps, which are on the top of it;

I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, “What are these, my lord?”

Then the angel who talked with me answered me, “Don’t you know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.”

Indeed, who despises the day of small things? For these seven shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. These are Yahweh’s eyes, which run back and forth through the whole earth.”

Then I asked him, “What are these two olive trees on the right side of the lamp stand and on the left side of it?”

He answered me, “Don’t you know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.”

He said to me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits.”

Then the angel who talked with me came forward, and said to me, “Lift up now your eyes, and see what is this that is appearing.”

For the teraphim have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie; and they have told false dreams. They comfort in vain. Therefore they go their way like sheep. They are oppressed, because there is no shepherd.

Yahweh said to me, “Take for yourself yet again the equipment of a foolish shepherd.

Then you shall return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serves God and him who doesn’t serve him.

Ask counsel of every man who is wise, and don’t despise any counsel that is profitable.

He went to seek a man, and found Raphael who was an angel;

and he didn’t know it. He said to him, “Can I go with you to Rages of Media? Do you know those places well?”

And the angel said to him, “Cut the fish open, and take the heart, the liver, and the gall, and keep them with you.”

The young man said to the angel, “Brother Azarias, of what use is the heart, the liver, and the gall of the fish?”

But as he went, he remembered the words of Raphael, and took the ashes of the incense, and put the heart and the liver of the fish on them, and made smoke with them.

Surely I will keep nothing closed from you. I have said, ‘It is good to keep close the secret of a king, but to reveal gloriously the works of God.’

He called together all his servants and all his great men, and communicated with them his secret counsel, and concluded the afflicting of all the land out of his own mouth.

and he said to them, “Tell me now, you sons of Canaan, who are these people who dwell in the hill country? What are the cities that they inhabit? How large is their army? Where is their power and their strength? What king is set over them, to be the leader of their army?

Why have they turned their backs, that they should not come and meet me, more than all that dwell in the west?”

Then Achior, the leader of all the children of Ammon, said to him, “Let my lord now hear a word from the mouth of your servant, and I will tell you the truth concerning these people who dwell in this hill country, near to the place where you dwell. No lie will come out of the mouth of your servant.

And now, my lord and master, if there is any error in this people, and they sin against their God, we will consider what this thing is in which they stumble, and we will go up and overcome them.

And when the disturbance of the men that were around the council had ceased, Holofernes the chief captain of the army of Asshur said to Achior and to all the children of Moab before all the people of the foreigners,

For you will not find the depth of the heart of man, and you will not perceive the things that he thinks. How will you search out God, who has made all these things, and know his mind, and comprehend his purpose? No, my kindred, don’t provoke the Lord our God to anger!

and said to them, “Command that they open the gate of the city for me, and I will go out to accomplish the things you spoke with me about.” And they commanded the young men to open to her, as she had spoken;

I am coming into the presence of Holofernes the chief captain of your army, to declare words of truth. I will show him a way that he can go and win all the hill country, and there will not be lacking of his men one person, nor one life.”

And there was great excitement throughout all the camp, for her coming was reported among the tents. They came and surrounded her as she stood outside Holofernes’ tent, until they told him about her.

They marveled at her beauty, and marveled at the children of Israel because of her. Each one said to his neighbor, “Who would despise this people, that have among them such women? For it is not good that one man of them be left, seeing that, if they are let go, they will be able to deceive the whole earth.

For we have heard of your wisdom and the subtle plans of your soul. It has been reported in all the earth that you only are brave in all the kingdom, mighty in knowledge, and wonderful in feats of war.

And now as concerning the matter which Achior spoke in your council, we have heard his words; for the men of Bethulia saved him, and he declared to them all that he had spoken before you.

Therefore I your servant, knowing all this, fled away from their presence. God sent me to work things with you, at which all the earth will be astonished, even as many as hear it.

For your servant is religious, and serves the God of heaven day and night. Now, my lord, I will stay with you, and your servant will go out by night into the valley. I will pray to God, and he will tell me when they have committed their sins.

Then I will come and show it also to you. Then you shall go out with all your army, and there will be none of them that will resist you.

Her words were pleasing in the sight of Holofernes and of all his servants. They marveled at her wisdom, and said,

And Judith said, “I will not eat of it, lest there be an occasion of stumbling: but provision will be made for me of the things that have come with me.”

For now is the time to help your inheritance, and to do the thing that I have purposed to the destruction of the enemies which have risen up against us.

She came to the rail of the bed, which was at Holofernes’ head, and took down his scimitar from there.

And as the Lord lives, who preserved me in my way that I went, my countenance deceived him to his destruction, and he did not commit sin with me, to defile and shame me.”

But when no one listened to him, he opened it, and went into the bedchamber, and found him cast upon the threshold dead, and his head had been taken from him.

But wnen the children of Israel heard, they all fell upon them with one accord, and struck them to Chobai. Yes, and in like manner also they of Jerusalem and of all the hill country came (for men had told them about what happened in their enemies’ camp), and those who were in Gilead and in Galilee fell upon their flank with a great slaughter, until they were past Damascus and its borders.

[In the second year of the reign of Ahasuerus the great king, on the first day of Nisan, Mordecai the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Jew dwelling in the city Susa, a great man, serving in the king’s palace, saw a vision. Now he was of the captivity which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried captive from Jerusalem, with Jeconiah the king of Judea. This was his dream: Behold, voices and a noise, thunders and earthquake, tumult upon the earth. And, behold, two great serpents came out, both ready for conflict. A great voice came from them. Every nation was prepared for battle by their voice, even to fight against the nation of the just. Behold, a day of darkness and blackness, tribulation and anguish, affection and tumult upon the earth. And all the righteous nation was troubled, fearing their own afflictions. They prepared to die, and cried to God. Something like a great river from a little spring with much water, came from their cry. Light and the sun arose, and the lowly were exalted, and devoured the honorable. Mordecai, who had seen this vision and what God desired to do, having arisen, kept it in his heart, and desired by all means to interpret it, even until night. Mordecai rested quietly in the palace with Gabatha and Tharrha the king’s two chamberlains, eunuchs who guarded the palace. He heard their conversation and searched out their plans. He learned that they were preparing to lay hands on king Ahasuerus; and he informed the king concerning them. The king examined the two chamberlains. They confessed, and were led away and executed. The king wrote these things for a record. Mordecai also wrote concerning these matters. The king commanded Mordecai to serve in the palace, and gave gifts for this service. But Haman the son of Hammedatha the Bougean was honored in the sight of the king, and he endeavored to harm Mordecai and his people, because of the king’s two chamberlains.] And it came to pass after these things in the days of Ahasuerus, —(this Ahasuerus ruled over one hundred twenty-seven provinces from India)—

Let the woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This thing pleased the king; and he did so.

She enters in the evening, and in the morning she departs to the second women’s apartment, where Hegai the king’s chamberlain is keeper of the women. She doesn’t go in to the king again, unless she is called by name.

Two chamberlains of the king, the chiefs of the body-guard, were grieved, because Mordecai was promoted; and they sought to kill king Ahasuerus.

And the matter was discovered by Mordecai, and he made it known to Esther, and she declared to the king the matter of the conspiracy.

So Esther called for her chamberlain Hathach, who waited upon her; and she sent to learn the truth from Mordecai.

And he found the records written concerning Mordecai, how he had told the king concerning the two chamberlains of the king, when they were keeping guard, and sought to lay hands on Ahasuerus.

Love righteousness, you⌃ that be judges of the earth, Think you⌃ of the Lord with a good mind, And in singleness of heart seek you⌃ him;

For a holy spirit of discipline will flee deceit. And will start away from thoughts that are without understanding, And will be put to confusion when unrighteousness has come in.

For in the midst of his counsels the ungodly will be searched out; And the sound of his words will come to the Lord To bring to conviction his lawless deeds:

Because there is an ear of jealousy that listens to all things, And the noise of murmurings is not hid.

He became to us a reproof of our thoughts.

Thus reasoned they, and they were led astray; For their wickedness blinded them,

He was caught away, lest wickedness should change his understanding, Or guile deceive his soul.