2182 verses about Discernment

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.

The works of all flesh are before him; And it is not possible to be hid from his eyes.

His ways are plain to the holy; So are they stumbling blocks to the wicked.

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

The Lord has not given power to the saints to declare all his marvelous works; Which the Almighty Lord firmly settled, That whatever is might be established in his glory.

He searcheth out the deep, and the heart, And he has understanding of their cunning plans: For the Most High knows all knowledge, And he looks into the signs of the world,

Declaring the things that are past, and the things that shall be, And revealing the traces of hidden things.

No thought escapes him; There is not a word hid from him.

Leaders of the people by their counsels, And by their understanding men of learning for the people; Wise were their words in their instruction:

He showed the things that should be to the end of time, And the hidden things or ever they came.

For they entreated him evil; And yet he was sanctified in the womb to be a prophet, To root out, and to afflict, and to destroy; And in like manner to build and to plant.

God didn’t choose these, nor did he give the way of knowledge to them;

There is none that knows her way, nor any that comprehendeth her path.

Yet they can’t perceive this themselves, and forsake them: for they have no understanding.

And they did as she bade them, and shut the garden doors, and went out themselves at the side doors to fetch the things that she had commanded them: and they saw not the elders, because they were hid.

And we, being in a corner of the garden, saw this wickedness, and ran to them.

Then Susanna cried out with a loud voice, and said, O everlasting God, that know the secrets, that know all things before they be:

So he standing in the midst of them said, Are you⌃ such fools, you⌃ sons of Israel, that without examination or knowledge of the truth you⌃ have condemned a daughter of Israel?

Wherefore all the people turned again in haste, and the elders said to him, Come, sit down among us, and show it us, seeing God has given you the honor of an elder.

Then said Daniel to them, Put them asunder one far from another, and I will examine them.

And they arose against the two elders, for Daniel had convicted them of false witness out of their own mouth:

And from that day forth was Daniel had in great reputation in the sight of the people.

Then Daniel laughed, and said, O king, be not deceived: for this is but clay within, and brass without, and did never eat or drink anything.

And it came to pass, when they were gone forth, the king set the meat before Bel. Now Daniel had commanded his servants to bring ashes, and they strewed all the temple with them in the presence of the king alone: then they went out, and shut the door, and sealed it with the king’s signet, and so departed.

Then laughed Daniel, and held the king that he should not go in, and said, Behold now the pavement, and mark well whose footsteps are these.

And, behold, Simon your brother, I know that he is a man of counsel; give ear to him always: he shall be a father to you.

But when they perceived these things, they were sore afraid; and perceiving also the army of Judas in the plain ready for battle,

and there came into their mind a good counsel, that they should pull it down, lest it should be a reproach to them, because the Gentiles had defiled it: and they pulled down the altar,

And Judas sent men to espy the army; and they brought him word, saying, All the Gentiles that be round about us are gathered together to them, an exceeding great army.

Joseph the son of Zacharias, and Azarias, rulers of the army, heard of their exploits and of the war, what things they had done;

And the thing was known to him, and he said, show me not their faces.

And the thing was known to Judas, to wit, that he came to him with deceit, and he was sore afraid of him, and would see his face no more.

And Nicanor knew that his counsel was discovered; and he went out to meet Judas in battle beside Capharsalama;

and how they had made for themselves a senate house, and day by day three hundred and twenty men sat in council, consulting always for the people, to the end they might be well ordered:

And they went to Rome (and the way was exceeding long), and they entered into the senate house, and answered and said,

And they went and consulted with him.

And he removed, and came with a great army, and sent letters privily to all his confederates that were in Judea, that they should lay hands on Jonathan and those that were with him: and they could not, because their counsel was known to them.

And Jonathan knew that there was an ambushment behind him. And they compassed round his army, and cast their darts at the people, from morning until evening:

But when Jonathan heard this, he commanded to besiege it still: and he chose certain of the elders of Israel and of the priests, and put himself in peril,

And he sent spies into his camp, and they came again, and reported to him that they were appointed in such and such a way to fall upon them in the night season.

But as soon as the sun was down, Jonathan commanded his men to watch, and to be in arms, that all the night long they might be ready for battle: and he put forth sentinels round about the camp.