“ Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.

“我差你们去，如同羊进入狼群；所以你们要灵巧像蛇，驯良像鸽子。

“看哪！我差你们出去，如同羊进入狼群，所以你们要机警如蛇，纯真如鸽。

“看哪！我差你们出去，如同羊进入狼群，所以你们要机警如蛇，纯真如鸽。

“听着，我差你们出去，就好像使羊走进狼群一般。所以，你们要像蛇一样机灵，像鸽子一样驯良。

“现在，我差派你们出去，好像羊进到狼群中间；所以你们要像蛇一样机警，像鸽子一样纯洁。

“看哪，我差派你们出去，就像把羊送进狼群中，所以你们要像蛇那样聪明，像鸽子那样纯洁。

「我差你們去，如同羊進入狼羣；所以你們要靈巧像蛇，馴良像鴿子。

「看哪！我差你們出去，如同羊進入狼羣，所以你們要機警如蛇，純真如鴿。

「看哪！我差你們出去，如同羊進入狼羣，所以你們要機警如蛇，純真如鴿。

「聽著，我差你們出去，就好像使羊走進狼群一般。所以，你們要像蛇一樣機靈，像鴿子一樣馴良。

“現在，我差派你們出去，好像羊進到狼群中間；所以你們要像蛇一樣機警，像鴿子一樣純潔。

『看吧，我差遣你們如同綿羊在豺狼中間；所以你們要靈巧像蛇，要天真像鴿子。

「看哪，我差派你們出去，就像把羊送進狼群中，所以你們要像蛇那樣聰明，像鴿子那樣純潔。

我遣爾似羊入狼中、故當智如蛇、馴如鴿、

我遣爾、似羊入狼中、故當智如蛇、馴如鴿、

我遣爾、似羊入狼中、故當巧如蛇、馴如鴿、

我遣爾等、如送綿羊入狼群。故宜靈變如蛇、而淳良如鴿。

“ I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

“ I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as wise as snakes and as harmless as doves.

“ Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

“ Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves.

“ Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be as wary as serpents, and as innocent as doves.

“ Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

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

“ Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as harmless as doves.

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

“ I am sending you out like sheep surrounded by wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

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

Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves.

so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.

Dear brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature in understanding matters of this kind.

I know that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock.

Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.

Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people.But everyone knows that you are obedient to the Lord. This makes me very happy. I want you to be wise in doing right and to stay innocent of any wrong.

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.

But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent.

for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you!

But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman,“ Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”

So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.

You yourselves are our witnesses— and so is God— that we were devout and honest and faultless toward all of you believers.

Stay away from every kind of evil.

We are traveling together to guard against any criticism for the way we are handling this generous gift.

We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God given holiness and sincerity in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially toward you.

Then the Lord God asked the woman,“ What have you done?”“ The serpent deceived me,” she replied.“ That’s why I ate it.”