Proverbs

Proverbs is the twentieth book of the Bible and the second of the wisdom books. It is a collection of short sayings, observations, and instructions about how to live wisely. Much of the book is traditionally attributed to King Solomon, who is said in 1 Kings to have spoken three thousand proverbs, though other sections name other authors and the final form was compiled later.

The opening nine chapters are an extended introduction in the voice of a father to his son, urging him to seek wisdom and avoid the path of the wicked. Wisdom is personified as a woman calling out in the streets; folly is also personified, often as a seductress. The recurring instruction is to fear the Lord, listen to wise counsel, and avoid laziness, drunkenness, and adultery.

From chapter 10 onward, the book becomes mostly short two-line proverbs, often contrasting the wise with the fool, the diligent with the lazy, the honest with the deceitful. The proverbs cover speech, money, work, friendship, marriage, parenting, justice, and dozens of other practical subjects. They do not promise that wisdom always pays off in this life. But they argue that, on balance, it does.

The closing chapter contains the famous portrait of "an excellent wife," a woman who runs a household, manages property, gives to the poor, and is praised by her husband and children.