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Bible verses about wisdom
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Biblical wisdom literature is practical rather than abstract. It is concerned with speech, money, work, friendship, anger and time.
One thing worth knowing before reading Proverbs: its sayings are generalisations about how life usually goes, not promises about how it always goes. The book of Job exists in part to make that point, and Ecclesiastes presses it further still.
The selection below spans all of those books, so that the confident sayings and the harder questions sit next to each other rather than being separated.
11 passages
Each shows its reference and translation, and links to the chapter it comes from.
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
13Happy is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gets understanding. 14For her good profit is better than getting silver, and her return is better than fine gold. 15She is more precious than rubies. None of the things you can desire are to be compared to her.
For the LORD gives wisdom. Out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter end.
For wisdom is a defence, even as money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.
Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.
To man he said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.’”
5Walk in wisdom towards those who are outside, redeeming the time. 6Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible British Edition, which is in the public domain. “World English Bible” is a trademark of eBible.org.