Wisdom: Worldly

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom, she took the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.

And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; so they sewed together fig leaves and made coverings for themselves.

If God puts no trust in His servants, and He charges His angels with error, …

He catches the wise in their craftiness, and sweeps away the plans of the cunning.

“Should this stream of words go unanswered and such a speaker be vindicated?

But a witless man can no more become wise than the colt of a wild donkey can be born a man!

Therefore, men fear Him, for He is not partial to the wise in heart.”

Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

Folly is joy to one who lacks judgment, but a man of understanding walks a straight path.

Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son and share his inheritance as one of the brothers.

A rebuke cuts into a man of discernment deeper than a hundred lashes cut into a fool.

He who isolates himself pursues selfish desires; he rebels against all sound judgment.

Set plans by consultation, and wage war under sound guidance.

Precious treasures and oil are in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man consumes them.

A wise man scales the city of the mighty and pulls down the stronghold in which they trust.

There is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel that can prevail against the LORD.

By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established; …

A rich man is wise in his own eyes, but a poor man with discernment sees through him.

For with much wisdom comes much sorrow, and as knowledge grows, grief increases.

I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy what is good!” But it proved to be futile. …

Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good, and it benefits those who see the sun. …

Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? …

Who is like the wise man? Who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man’s wisdom brightens his face, and the sternness of his face is changed.

When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe the task that one performs on the earth—though his eyes do not see sleep in the day or even in the night—

I saw every work of God, and that a man is unable to comprehend the work that is done under the sun. Despite his efforts to search it out, he cannot find its meaning; even if the wise man claims to know, he is unable to comprehend.

A wise man’s heart inclines to the right, but the heart of a fool to the left.

Even as the fool walks along the road, his sense is lacking, and he shows everyone that he is a fool.

If the axe is dull and the blade unsharpened, more strength must be exerted, but skill produces success.

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.

Does the plowman plow for planting every day? Does he continuously loosen and harrow the soil? …

Therefore I will again confound these people with wonder upon wonder. The wisdom of the wise will vanish, and the intelligence of the intelligent will be hidden.” …

You were secure in your wickedness; you said, ‘No one sees me.’ Your wisdom and knowledge led you astray; you told yourself, ‘I am, and there is none besides me.’

But disaster will come upon you; you will not know how to charm it away. A calamity will befall you that you will be unable to ward off. Devastation will happen to you suddenly and unexpectedly.

Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons. The turtledove, the swift, and the thrush keep their time of migration, but My people do not know the requirements of the LORD. …

This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the wealthy man in his riches.

But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises loving devotion, justice and righteousness on the earth—for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.

Concerning Edom, this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Is there no longer wisdom in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom decayed?

But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. …

At that time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

At that time Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was well-pleasing in Your sight.

The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the sons of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the sons of light.

For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts. …

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with words of wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. …

When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. …

Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise. …

Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.

The one who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know.

For this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in relation to you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God—not in worldly wisdom, but in the grace of God.

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ.

O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid irreverent, empty chatter and the opposing arguments of so-called “knowledge,”

…which some have professed and thus swerved away from the faith. Grace be with you all.