Perceive

Now, therefore, Pharaoh should look for a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt.

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.

Choose for yourselves wise, understanding, and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will appoint them as your leaders.”

Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the peoples, who will hear of all these statutes and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”

Remember the days of old; consider the years long past. Ask your father, and he will tell you, your elders, and they will inform you.

He found him in a desert land, in a barren, howling wilderness; He surrounded him, He instructed him, He guarded him as the apple of His eye.

If only they were wise, they would understand it; they would comprehend their fate.

Once again, for the third time, the LORD called to Samuel. He got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.” Then Eli realized that it was the LORD who was calling the boy.

One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a mighty man of valor, a warrior, eloquent and handsome, and the LORD is with him.”

When David saw that his servants were whispering to one another, he perceived that the child was dead. So he asked his servants, “Is the child dead?” “He is dead,” they replied.

Therefore give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?”

So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this instead of requesting long life or wealth for yourself or death for your enemies—but you have asked for discernment to administer justice—

behold, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been another like you, nor will there ever be.

The next morning, when I got up to nurse my son, I discovered he was dead. But when I examined him, I realized that he was not the son I had borne.”

Chenaniah the head Levite was the director of the music because he was highly skilled.

Together with their relatives, who were all trained and skillful in the songs of the LORD, they numbered 288.

They cast lots for their duties, young and old alike, teacher as well as pupil.

David’s uncle Jonathan was a counselor; he was a man of insight and a scribe. Jehiel son of Hachmoni attended to the sons of the king.

As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands the intent of every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.

Rehoboam also acted wisely by dispersing some of his sons throughout the districts of Judah and Benjamin, and to all the fortified cities. He gave them abundant provisions and sought many wives for them.

He sought God throughout the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. And as long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success.

And the men did the work faithfully. The Levites overseeing them were Jahath and Obadiah, descendants of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, descendants of Kohath. Other Levites, all skilled with musical instruments,

To the Levites who taught all Israel and were holy to the LORD, Josiah said: “Put the holy ark in the temple built by Solomon son of David king of Israel. It is not to be carried around on your shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God and His people Israel.

Now I assembled these exiles at the canal that flows to Ahava, and we camped there three days. And when I searched among the people and priests, I found no Levites there.

Then I summoned the leaders: Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, as well as the teachers Joiarib and Elnathan.

On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could listen and understand.

So Ezra read it aloud from daybreak until noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate, in front of the men and women and those who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law as they stood in their places.

So they read from the Book of the Law of God, explaining it and giving insight, so that the people could understand what was being read.

Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the Law.

Then all the people began to eat and drink, to send out portions, and to rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that had been made known to them.

hereby join with their noble brothers and commit themselves with a sworn oath to follow the Law of God given through His servant Moses and to obey carefully all the commandments, ordinances, and statutes of the LORD our Lord.

to return to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done on behalf of Tobiah by providing him a room in the courts of the house of God.

Teach me, and I will be silent. Help me understand how I have erred.

Is there iniquity on my tongue? Can my mouth not discern malice?

Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; were He to move, I would not recognize Him.

Surely He knows the deceit of men. If He sees iniquity, does He not take note?

“Indeed, my eyes have seen all this; my ears have heard and understood.

If his sons receive honor, he does not know it; if they are brought low, he is unaware.

What do you know that we do not? What do you understand that is not clear to us?

“How long until you end these speeches? Show some sense, and then we can talk.

I would learn how He would answer, and consider what He would say.

If I go east, He is not there, and if I go west, I cannot find Him.

Therefore I am terrified in His presence; when I consider this, I fear Him.

Indeed, these are but the fringes of His ways; how faint is the whisper we hear of Him! Who then can understand the thunder of His power?”

But God understands its way, and He knows its place.

I cry out to You for help, but You do not answer; when I stand up, You merely look at me.

“I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze with desire at a virgin?

But there is a spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding.

It is not only the old who are wise, or the elderly who understand justice.

I paid you full attention. But no one proved Job wrong; not one of you rebutted his arguments.

Furthermore, who can understand how the clouds spread out, how the thunder roars from His pavilion?

Listen to this, O Job; stand still and consider the wonders of God.

Have you surveyed the extent of the earth? Tell Me, if you know all this.

so you can lead it back to its border? Do you know the paths to its home?

You asked, ‘Who is this who conceals My counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.

Attend to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to You I pray.

Keep Your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless and cleansed of great transgression.

Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD or what His hands have done, He will tear them down and never rebuild them.

Do not be like the horse or mule, which have no understanding; they must be controlled with bit and bridle to make them come to you.

He shapes the hearts of each; He considers all their works.

Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.

Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:

The righteous will rejoice when they see they are avenged; they will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked.

until I entered God’s sanctuary; then I discerned their end.

They do not know or understand; they wander in the darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

that though the wicked sprout like grass, and all evildoers flourish, they will be forever destroyed.

They say, “The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob pays no heed.”

Take notice, O senseless among the people! O fools, when will you be wise?

Let him who is wise pay heed to these things and consider the loving devotion of the LORD.

Make clear to me the way of Your precepts; then I will meditate on Your wonders.

Give me understanding that I may obey Your law, and follow it with all my heart.

Your hands have made me and fashioned me; give me understanding to learn Your commandments.

The wicked wait to destroy me, but I will ponder Your testimonies.

I discern more than the elders, for I obey Your precepts.

I gain understanding from Your precepts; therefore I hate every false way.

I am Your servant; give me understanding, that I may know Your testimonies.

The unfolding of Your words gives light; it informs the simple.

Your testimonies are righteous forever. Give me understanding, that I may live.

May my cry come before You, O LORD; give me understanding according to Your word.

You know when I sit and when I rise; You understand my thoughts from afar.

for gaining wisdom and discipline, for comprehending words of insight,

let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel

by understanding the proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.

then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God.

Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity—every good path.

I saw among the simple, I noticed among the youths, a young man lacking judgment,

O simple ones, learn to be shrewd; O fools, gain understanding.

They are all plain to the discerning, and upright to those who find knowledge.

Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks judgment.

A mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.

The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools deceives them.

The simple man believes every word, but the prudent man watches his steps.

Wisdom rests in the heart of the discerning; even among fools she is known.

A discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.

The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant speech promotes instruction.

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

Wisdom is the focus of the discerning, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.

Even a fool is considered wise if he keeps silent, and discerning when he holds his tongue.

The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks it out.

Strike a mocker, and the simple will beware; rebuke the discerning man, and he will gain knowledge.

A man’s steps are from the LORD, so how can anyone understand his own way?

A wicked man hardens his face, but the upright man makes his way sure.

When you sit down to dine with a ruler, consider carefully what is set before you,

If you say, “Behold, we did not know about this,” does not He who weighs hearts consider it? Does not the One who guards your life know? Will He not repay a man according to his deeds?

A land in rebellion has many rulers, but a man of understanding and knowledge maintains order.

Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD comprehend fully.

A discerning son keeps the law, but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.

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

The righteous consider the cause of the poor, but the wicked have no regard for such concerns.

A servant cannot be corrected by words alone; though he understands, he will not respond.

I saw something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; neither is the bread to the wise, nor the wealth to the intelligent, nor the favor to the skillful. For time and chance happen to all.

The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s manger, but Israel does not know; My people do not understand.”

the commander of fifty and the dignitary, the counselor, the cunning magician, and the clever enchanter.

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

And He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’

Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

For he says: ‘By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, for I am clever. I have removed the boundaries of nations and plundered their treasures; like a mighty one I subdued their rulers.

Those who see you will stare; they will ponder your fate: “Is this the man who shook the earth and made the kingdoms tremble,

Whom is He trying to teach? To whom is He explaining His message? To infants just weaned from milk? To babies removed from the breast?

As often as it passes through, it will carry you away; it will sweep through morning after morning, by day and by night.” The understanding of this message will bring sheer terror.

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 have turned things upside down, as if the potter were regarded as clay. Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, “He did not make me”? Can the pottery say of the potter, “He has no understanding”?

The mind of the rash will know and understand, and the stammering tongue will speak clearly and fluently.

Whom did He consult to enlighten Him, and who taught Him the paths of justice? Who imparted knowledge to Him and showed Him the way of understanding?

Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the foundation of the earth?

“You are My witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may consider and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me no god was formed, and after Me none will come.

“Do not call to mind the former things; pay no attention to the things of old.

They do not comprehend or discern, for He has shut their eyes so they cannot see and closed their minds so they cannot understand.

so He will sprinkle many nations. Kings will shut their mouths because of Him. For they will see what they have not been told, and they will understand what they have not heard.

Like ravenous dogs, they are never satisfied. They are shepherds with no discernment; they all turn to their own way, each one seeking his own gain:

The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no one considers that the righteous are taken away from the presence of evil.

Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus and take a look; send to Kedar and consider carefully; see if there has ever been anything like this:

“For My people are fools; they have not known Me. They are foolish children, without understanding. They are skilled in doing evil, but they know not how to do good.”

“And I will make Jerusalem a heap of rubble, a haunt for jackals; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.”

I will scatter them among the nations that neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will send a sword after them until I have finished them off.”

The anger of the LORD will not turn back until He has fully accomplished the purposes of His heart. In the days to come you will understand this clearly.

The fierce anger of the LORD will not turn back until He has fully accomplished the purposes of His heart. In the days to come you will understand this.

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?

young men without blemish, handsome, gifted in all wisdom, knowledgeable, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace—and to teach them the language and literature of the Chaldeans.

To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding in every kind of literature and wisdom. And Daniel had insight into all kinds of visions and dreams.

As I was contemplating all this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between his eyes came out of the west, crossing the surface of the entire earth without touching the ground.

And I heard the voice of a man calling from between the banks of the Ulai: “Gabriel, explain the vision to this man.”

As he came near to where I stood, I was terrified and fell facedown. “Son of man,” he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.”

In the latter part of their reign, when the rebellion has reached its full measure, an insolent king, skilled in intrigue, will come to the throne.

I, Daniel, was exhausted and lay ill for days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was confounded by the vision; it was beyond understanding.

in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the sacred books, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.

He instructed me and spoke with me, saying: “O Daniel, I have come now to give you insight and understanding.

At the beginning of your petitions, an answer went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly precious. So consider the message and understand the vision:

In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel, who was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, and it concerned a great conflict. And the understanding of the message was given to him in a vision.

He said to me, “Daniel, you are a man who is highly precious. Consider carefully the words that I am about to say to you. Stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he had said this to me, I stood up trembling.

“Do not be afraid, Daniel,” he said, “for from the first day that you purposed to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.

Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision concerns those days.”

Ships of Kittim will come against him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and rage against the holy covenant and do damage. So he will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant.

Those with insight will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by sword or flame, or be captured or plundered.

He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers, nor for the one desired by women, nor for any other god, because he will magnify himself above them all.

I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these things?”

Many will be purified, made spotless, and refined, but the wicked will continue to act wickedly. None of the wicked will understand, but the wise will understand.

I will not punish your daughters when they prostitute themselves, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery. For the men themselves go off with prostitutes and offer sacrifices with shrine prostitutes. So a people without understanding will come to ruin.

But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD or understand His plan, for He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.