¹⁶ Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

³ Go your ways; behold, I send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves.

²⁹ I know that after my departing grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock;

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

²⁰ Brethren, be not children in mind: yet in malice be ye babes, but in mind be men.

⁵ Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

³ But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ.

¹ Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which Jehovah God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of any tree of the garden?

¹⁸ For they that are such serve not our Lord Christ, but their own belly; and by their smooth and fair speech they beguile the hearts of the innocent.

¹⁹ For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I rejoice therefore over you: but I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple unto that which is evil.

¹⁵ Look therefore carefully how ye walk, not as unwise, but as wise;

¹⁶ redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

¹⁷ Wherefore be ye not foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

¹⁵ for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to withstand or to gainsay.

¹³ And Jehovah God said unto the woman, What is this thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

¹⁰ Ye are witnesses, and God `also', how holily and righteously and unblameably we behaved ourselves toward you that believe:

⁹ For this cause we also, since the day we heard `it', do not cease to pray and make request for you, that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

¹⁴ And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light.

²⁰ Avoiding this, that any man should blame us in `the matter of' this bounty which is ministered by us:

¹² For our glorifying is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we behaved ourselves in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.

²² abstain from every form of evil.