2182 verses about Discernment

Strive not in a matter that concerns you not; And where sinners judge, sit not you with them.

Bring not every man into your house; For many are the plots of the deceitful man.

Take heed of an evil-doer, for he contriveth wicked things; Lest haply he bring upon you blame forever.

Give to the godly man, And help not the sinner.

Give to the good man, And help not the sinner.

A man’s friend will not be fully tried in prosperity; And his enemy will not be hidden in adversity.

Though he humble himself, and go crouching, Yet take good heed, and beware of him, And you will be to him as one that has wiped a mirror, And you will know that he has not utterly rusted it.

Set him not by you, Lest he overthrow you and stand in your place; Let him not sit on your right hand, Lest he seek to take your seat, And at the last you acknowledge my words, And be pricked with my sayings.

And the enemy will speak sweetly with his lips, And in his heart take counsel how to overthrow you into a pit: The enemy will weep with his eyes, And if he find opportunity, he will not be satiated with blood.

Hath he had need of you? then he will deceive you, And smile upon you, and give you hope: He will speak you fair, and say, What need you?

Beware that you be not deceived, and brought low in your mirth.

Affect not to speak with him as an equal, And believe not his many words: For with much talk will he try you, And in a smiling manner will search you out.

Keep them to yourself, and take earnest heed, For you walk in peril of your falling.

What fellowship shall the wolf have with the lamb? So is the sinner to the godly.

Blessed is the man that shall meditate in wisdom, And that shall discourse by his understanding.

For great is the wisdom of the Lord: He is mighty in power, and sees all things;

For from one that has understanding will a city be peopled; But a race of wicked men will be made desolate.

He that is lacking in understanding thinks upon these things; And an unwise and erring man thinks follies.

I will show forth instruction by weight, And declare knowledge exactly.

Counsel, and tongue, and eyes, Ears, and heart, gave he them to understand withal.

He filled them with the knowledge of wisdom, And showed them good and evil.

A fool will upbrade ungraciously; And the gift of an envious man consumes the eyes.

A wise man will fear in everything; And in days of sinning he will beware of offence.

Every man of understanding knows wisdom; And he will give thanks to him that found her.

Wine and women will make men of understanding to fall away: And he that cleaves to harlots will be the more reckless.

Reprove a friend; for many times there is slander: And trust not every word.

And the knowledge of wickedness is not wisdom; And the prudence of sinners is not counsel.

There is an exquisite subtlety, and the same is unjust; And there is one that perverteth favor to gain a judgement.

A man will be known by his look, And one that has understanding will be known by his face, when you meet him.

A man’s attire, and grinning laughter, And gait, show what he is.

There is a reproof that is not comely; And there is a man that keeps silence, and he is wise.

There is one that keeps silence, for he has no answer to make; And there is that keeps silence, as knowing his time.

A wise sentence from a fool’s mouth will be rejected; For he will not speak it in its season.

The disposition of a liar is dishonor; And his shame is with him continually.

He that is wise in words will advance himself; And one that is prudent will please great men.

Better is a man that hides his folly Than a man that hides his wisdom.

He that is mighty in tongue is known afar off: But the man of understanding knows when he slips.

He that is not clever will not be instructed; And there is a cleverness which makes bitterness to abound.

The knowledge of a wise man will be made to abound as a flood; And his counsel as a fountain of life.

The inward parts of a fool are like a broken vessel; And he will hold no knowledge.

If a man of knowledge hear a wise word, He will commend it, and add to it: The dissolute man hears it, and it displeases him, And he puts it away behind his back.

The foot of a fool is soon in another man’s house; But a man of experience will be ashamed of entering.

A foolish man peepeth in from the door of another man’s house; But a man that is instructed will stand without.

It is a lack of instruction in a man to listen at the door; But the prudent man will be grieved with the disgrace.

The lips of strangers will be grieved at these things; But the words of prudent men will be weighed in the balance.

Unseasonable discourse is as music in mourning; But stripes and correction are wisdom at every season.

He that discourseth to a fool is as one discoursing to a man that slumbereth; And at the end he will say, What is it?

Talk not much with a foolish man, And go not to one that has no understanding: Beware of him, lest you have trouble; And so you shall not be defiled in his onslaught: Turn away from him, and you will find rest; And so you shall not be wearied in his madness.

Timber girded and bound into a building will not be loosed with shaking: So a heart established in due season on well advised counsel will not be afraid.

A heart settled upon a thoughtful understanding Is as an ornament of plaister on a polished wall.

Who will set scourges over my thought, And a discipline of wisdom over my heart? That they spare me not for my ignorances, And my heart pass not by their sins:

For her thoughts are filled from the sea, And her counsels from the great deep.

How beautiful a thing is judgement for gray hairs, And for elders to know counsel!

Happy is he that has found prudence; And he that discourseth in the ears of those who listen.

Look well after an impudent eye; And marvel not if it trespass against you.

The furnace will prove the potter’s vessels; And the trial of a man is in his reasoning.

Praise no man before you hear him reason; For this is the trial of men.

The discourse of a godly man is always wisdom: But the foolish man changes as the moon.

Among men void of understanding observe the opportunity; But stay continually among the thoughtful.

When you are present, he will speak sweetly, And will admire your words; But afterward he will writhe his mouth, And set a trap for you in your words.

Help your neighbor according to your power, And take heed to yourself that you fall not to the same.

Consider your neighbor’s liking by your own; And be discreet in every point.

The furnace proves the temper of steel by dipping; So does wine prove hearts in the quarreling of the proud.

Drunkenness increases the rage of a fool to his hurt; It diminishes strength, and adds wounds.

Pour not out talk where there is a performance of music, And display not your wisdom out of season.

Sum up your speech, many things in few words; Be as one that knows and yet holds his tongue.

He that seeks the law shall be filled therewith: But the hypocrite shall stumble thereat.

A man of counsel will not neglect a thought; A strange and proud man will not crouch in fear, Even after he has done a thing by himself without counsel.

Do nothing without counsel; And when you have once done, repent not.

Go not in a way of conflict; And stumble not in stony places.

By the knowledge of the Lord they were distinguished; And he varied seasons and feasts:

In the abundance of his knowledge the Lord distinguished them, And made their ways various:

And be not excessive toward any; And without judgement do nothing.

The vision of dreams is as this thing against that, The likeness of a face near a face.

Divinations, and soothsayings, and dreams, are vain: And the heart fancies, as a woman’s in travail.

If they be not sent from the Most High in your visitation, Give not your heart to them.

For dreams have led many astray: And they have failed by putting their hope in them.

A well-instructed man knows many things; And he that has much experience will declare understanding.

He that has no experience knows few things: But he that has wandered shall increase his skill.

The mouth tastes meats taken in hunting: So does an understanding heart false speeches.

A froward heart will cause heaviness: And a man of experience will recompense him.

O wicked imagination, whence came you rolling in To cover the dry land with deceitfulness?

Every counsellor extols counsel; But there is that counsels for himself.

Let your soul beware of a counsellor, And know you before what is his interest (For he will take counsel for himself); Lest he cast the lot upon you,

And say to you, Your way is good: And he will stand near you, to see what will happen to you.

Take not counsel with one that looks askance at you; And hide your counsel from such as are jealous of you.

Take not counsel with a woman about her rival; Neither with a coward about war; Nor with a merchant about exchange; Nor with a buyer about selling; Nor with an envious man about thankfulness; Nor with an unmerciful man about kindliness; Nor with a sluggard about any kind of work; Nor with a hireling in your house about finishing his work; Nor with an idle servant about much business: Give not heed to these in any matter of counsel.

And make the counsel of your heart to stand; For there is none more faithful to you than it.

For a man’s soul is sometime wont to bring him tidings, More than seven watchmen that sit on high on a watch-tower.

Let reason be the beginning of every work, And let counsel go before every action.

There is one that is shrewd and the instructor of many, And yet is unprofitable to his own soul.

For grace was not given him from the Lord; Because he is deprived of all wisdom.

There is one that is wise to his own soul; And the fruits of his understanding are trustworthy in the mouth.

A wise man will instruct his own people; And the fruits of his understanding are trustworthy.

My son, prove your soul in your life, And see what is evil for it, and give not that to it.

For all things are not profitable for all men, Neither has every soul pleasure in every thing.

He will keep the discourse of the men of renown, And will enter in amidst the subtleties of parables.

He will seek out the hidden meaning of proverbs, And be conversant in the dark sayings of parables.

He will serve among great men, And appear before him that rules: He will travel through the land of strange nations; For he has tried good things and evil among men.

He shall direct his counsel and knowledge, And in his secrets shall he meditate.