Romans 16:19

¹⁶“Behold, I send you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

²⁰Brothers, don’t be children in thoughts, yet in malice be babies, but in thoughts be mature.

¹³Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his good conduct that his deeds are done in gentleness of wisdom. ¹⁴But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and don’t lie against the truth. ¹⁵This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic. ¹⁶For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed. ¹⁷But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. ¹⁸Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

¹⁵that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without defect in the middle of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world,

⁸First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, that your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world.

²²“For my people are foolish. They don’t know me. They are foolish children, and they have no understanding. They are skillful in doing evil, but they don’t know how to do good.”

¹⁷Therefore, don’t be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

⁹This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment,

²I will be careful to live a blameless life. When will you come to me? I will walk within my house with a blameless heart.

¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.