Book of Proverbs (KJV)
Proverbs is the Bible’s book of practical wisdom — short, memorable sayings about how to live, work, speak, and spend. Below are its 20 most-searched verses in the King James Version, thematic collections on wisdom, money, relationships, and work, and links to read any of the 31 chapters in full. Looking for a particular phrase? Search all three translations.
The 20 Most-Loved Verses in Proverbs
The verses people quote, print, and look up most often — each links to its full chapter in the KJV.
- 15Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.Proverbs 3:5-6· Read full chapter →
- 26Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.Proverbs 22:6· Read full chapter →
- 33Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.Proverbs 16:3· Read full chapter →
- 423Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.Proverbs 4:23· Read full chapter →
- 59Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: 10So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.Proverbs 3:9-10· Read full chapter →
- 617Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.Proverbs 27:17· Read full chapter →
- 710The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.Proverbs 18:10· Read full chapter →
- 89A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.Proverbs 16:9· Read full chapter →
- 917A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.Proverbs 17:17· Read full chapter →
- 101A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.Proverbs 15:1· Read full chapter →
- 1110The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.Proverbs 9:10· Read full chapter →
- 127The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.Proverbs 1:7· Read full chapter →
- 1318Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.Proverbs 16:18· Read full chapter →
- 1420He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.Proverbs 13:20· Read full chapter →
- 1510Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.Proverbs 31:10· Read full chapter →
- 1625The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.Proverbs 11:25· Read full chapter →
- 1721There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.Proverbs 19:21· Read full chapter →
- 1822A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.Proverbs 17:22· Read full chapter →
- 197The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.Proverbs 22:7· Read full chapter →
- 2026He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.Proverbs 28:26· Read full chapter →
Read Proverbs by Chapter
Proverbs has 31 chapters — one for each day of the month, which is why many readers work through a chapter a day.
Proverbs on Wisdom
Wisdom is the book's whole subject. Proverbs does not treat it as cleverness but as skill in living — and it begins, every time, with the fear of the LORD. Wisdom is something to be sought, valued above wealth, and asked for.
The book's thesis in a sentence: reverence for God is where real understanding starts, not where it ends.
Proverbs 9:10Wisdom is ranked first among everything worth pursuing — get it before you get anything else.
Proverbs 4:7Where wisdom comes from. It is given by God, not manufactured by effort alone.
Proverbs 2:6Proverbs on Money
Proverbs is unusually practical about money — it praises honest work, warns against debt and get-rich schemes, and ties generosity to blessing. It neither despises wealth nor worships it.
The plainest warning about debt in Scripture: the borrower ends up serving the lender.
Proverbs 22:7Wealth that comes quickly and cheaply tends to leave the same way; steady labour builds.
Proverbs 13:11Generosity is framed not as loss but as the surest way to be replenished.
Proverbs 11:25Proverbs on Relationships
A large share of Proverbs is about how people treat one another — the friend who stays through trouble, the counsel that sharpens, the soft answer that cools a quarrel. Its picture of friendship is loyal, honest, and costly.
The definition most people quote: a friend's love is not seasonal, and kinship shows itself in hard times.
Proverbs 17:17Real friendship changes you — two people improving each other by honest contact.
Proverbs 27:17The single most practical verse for any tense conversation: tone decides whether a quarrel grows or dies.
Proverbs 15:1Proverbs on Work
Proverbs holds up the diligent and holds the sluggard up to the light. Work is dignified here, laziness is quietly mocked, and effort — not talk — is what it credits with profit.
The book's most memorable image for the lazy: go watch an ant, which needs no overseer to get moving.
Proverbs 6:6A one-line contrast between doing and talking — labour brings profit, chatter brings want.
Proverbs 14:23Where work and faith meet: commit the doing to God, and the plans behind it are steadied.
Proverbs 16:3About the Book of Proverbs
Author.Most of Proverbs is credited to King Solomon, named in the opening verse (Proverbs 1:1). It is a collection rather than one continuous work, and it gathers other voices too — “the words of the wise” (22:17), Agur son of Jakeh (30:1), and King Lemuel’s mother (31:1). Proverbs 25:1 notes that men of King Hezekiah of Judah later copied out more of Solomon’s sayings.
Structure. Chapters 1-9 are longer speeches from a father to a son, personifying wisdom as a woman who calls out in the streets. Chapters 10-31 are mostly short, self-contained sayings on speech, work, money, honesty, and character, closing with the acrostic poem of the virtuous woman (31:10-31).
Theme.One line holds the book together: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (9:10). Wisdom here is not intelligence but skill in living rightly — and it shows up in the ordinary places, in how a person handles a quarrel, a debt, a day’s work, or a friend.
Recommended reading
Study Bibles & devotionals
Go deeper than a single verse. These study Bibles and daily devotionals pair well with the topics here — adding context, commentary, and a rhythm for daily reading.
ESV Study Bible
Crossway
Over 20,000 study notes, maps, and articles — the go-to one-volume study Bible for understanding scripture in context.
Life Application Study Bible (NIV)
Tyndale / Zondervan
Notes that connect each passage to everyday life — ideal alongside the topical verses on this page.
Jesus Calling
Sarah Young
A year of short daily devotions written as if Jesus is speaking — a gentle companion to daily scripture reading.
My Utmost for His Highest
Oswald Chambers
The classic daily devotional — 365 readings that have shaped Christian devotion for over a century.
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Keep Exploring
Explore the scriptures by subject on the Topics index, or read the Psalms next door in the Old Testament.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most famous verse in Proverbs?
Proverbs 3:5-6 is by far the most quoted: “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” It is the verse most often printed, memorised, and given at graduations and weddings. Proverbs 22:6 (“Train up a child in the way he should go”) and Proverbs 4:23 (“Keep thy heart with all diligence”) are close behind.
What does Proverbs say about wisdom?
Proverbs treats wisdom as the skill of living well, and it repeatedly says that wisdom begins with reverence for God: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). It urges the reader to seek wisdom above money — “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom” (Proverbs 4:7) — and teaches that God is its source (Proverbs 2:6). Wisdom in Proverbs is practical, not abstract: it shows up in honest work, careful speech, wise friendships, and self-control.
Who wrote the Book of Proverbs?
Most of Proverbs is attributed to King Solomon, whose name opens the book in Proverbs 1:1. It is a collection rather than a single essay, and it names other contributors too — “the words of the wise” (Proverbs 22:17), Agur son of Jakeh (Proverbs 30:1), and King Lemuel (Proverbs 31:1). Proverbs 25:1 notes that some of Solomon's proverbs were later copied out by the men of King Hezekiah of Judah.
How many chapters are in the Book of Proverbs?
Proverbs has 31 chapters — a chapter for each day of the month, which is why many people read one chapter per day. The early chapters (1-9) are longer speeches urging the reader to choose wisdom; chapters 10-31 are mostly short, standalone sayings, ending with the portrait of the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31.