Most Popular Bible Verses in Proverbs

Proverbs Rank:

10

For as he thinks within himself, so he is.
He says to you, “Eat and drink!”
But his heart is not with you.

11

To receive instruction in wise behavior,
Righteousness, justice and equity;

14

There are six things which the Lord hates,
Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:

24

The highway of the upright is to depart from evil;
He who watches his way preserves his life.

25

To understand a proverb and a figure,
The words of the wise and their riddles.

26

The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom;
And with all your acquiring, get understanding.

27

Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding!
Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

31

“They are all straightforward to him who understands,
And right to those who find knowledge.

32

My son, if you will receive my words
And treasure my commandments within you,

33

“The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way,
Before His works of old.

36

For if you cry for discernment,
Lift your voice for understanding;

40

If they say, “Come with us,
Let us lie in wait for blood,
Let us ambush the innocent without cause;

44

Which, having no chief,
Officer or ruler,

48

Let us swallow them alive like Sheol,
Even whole, as those who go down to the pit;

53

My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.

57

For the Lord will plead their case
And take the life of those who rob them.

58

We will find all kinds of precious wealth,
We will fill our houses with spoil;

60

The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:

64

An inheritance gained hurriedly at the beginning
Will not be blessed in the end.

66

An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips,
But the righteous will escape from trouble.

67

She does not ponder the path of life;
Her ways are unstable, she does not know it.

68

But they lie in wait for their own blood;
They ambush their own lives.

69

Prepares her food in the summer
And gathers her provision in the harvest.

70

Indeed, it is useless to spread the baited net
In the sight of any bird;

71

For their feet run to evil
And they hasten to shed blood.

73

“Do not forsake her, and she will guard you;
Love her, and she will watch over you.

75

“Take my instruction and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choicest gold.

77

“Turn to my reproof,
Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.

78

A man lacking in sense pledges
And becomes guarantor in the presence of his neighbor.

79

At the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings:

80

So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence;
It takes away the life of its possessors.

82

A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his words,
And the deeds of a man’s hands will return to him.

84

“Because I called and you refused,
I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention;

86

The strutting rooster, the male goat also,
And a king when his army is with him.

88

A wise man scales the city of the mighty
And brings down the stronghold in which they trust.

89

Passing through the street near her corner;
And he takes the way to her house,

93

How long will you lie down, O sluggard?
When will you arise from your sleep?

94

Good understanding produces favor,
But the way of the treacherous is hard.

96

Your poverty will come in like a vagabond
And your need like an armed man.

97

Like a trampled spring and a polluted well
Is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.

98

But to those who rebuke the wicked will be delight,
And a good blessing will come upon them.

99

“So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way
And be satiated with their own devices.

100

“For wisdom is better than jewels;
And all desirable things cannot compare with her.

101

With the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied;
He will be satisfied with the product of his lips.

102

Now then, my sons, listen to me
And do not depart from the words of my mouth.

103

Prize her, and she will exalt you;
She will honor you if you embrace her.

104

He who is guarantor for a stranger will surely suffer for it,
But he who hates being a guarantor is secure.

106

“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
And I find knowledge and discretion.

108

Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord.

109

Every prudent man acts with knowledge,
But a fool displays folly.

111

It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly
Than to divide the spoil with the proud.

112

“By me princes rule, and nobles,
All who judge rightly.

114

In the twilight, in the evening,
In the middle of the night and in the darkness.

115

He who digs a pit will fall into it,
And he who rolls a stone, it will come back on him.

117

He who loves transgression loves strife;
He who raises his door seeks destruction.

118

When your dread comes like a storm
And your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.

121

On the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found,
But a rod is for the back of him who lacks understanding.

123

He is on the path of life who heeds instruction,
But he who ignores reproof goes astray.

124

Keep your way far from her
And do not go near the door of her house,

126

A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest”—

128

So your barns will be filled with plenty
And your vats will overflow with new wine.

130

A quick-tempered man acts foolishly,
And a man of evil devices is hated.

131

The merciful man does himself good,
But the cruel man does himself harm.

134

The wise in heart will be called understanding,
And sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.

135

“They would not accept my counsel,
They spurned all my reproof.

136

He who gives attention to the word will find good,
And blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.

139

The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver,
The heart of the wicked is worth little.

140

“By me kings reign,
And rulers decree justice.

141

He who is steadfast in righteousness will attain to life,
And he who pursues evil will bring about his own death.

143

If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,
And if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

144

Assuredly, the evil man will not go unpunished,
But the descendants of the righteous will be delivered.

148

The naive inherit foolishness,
But the sensible are crowned with knowledge.

151

For the churning of milk produces butter,
And pressing the nose brings forth blood;
So the churning of anger produces strife.

152

“She will place on your head a garland of grace;
She will present you with a crown of beauty.”

154

“For the waywardness of the naive will kill them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them.

155

Her ways are pleasant ways
And all her paths are peace.

156

What is desirable in a man is his kindness,
And it is better to be a poor man than a liar.

159

A wicked messenger falls into adversity,
But a faithful envoy brings healing.

160

He who diligently seeks good seeks favor,
But he who seeks evil, evil will come to him.

161

Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil,
But counselors of peace have joy.

162

The mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom,
But the perverted tongue will be cut out.

163

And strangers will be filled with your strength
And your hard-earned goods will go to the house of an alien;

164

What the wicked fears will come upon him,
But the desire of the righteous will be granted.

165

Who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet,
Who points with his fingers;

167

The lips of the righteous feed many,
But fools die for lack of understanding.

170

Hear, my son, and accept my sayings
And the years of your life will be many.

172

My son, let them not vanish from your sight;
Keep sound wisdom and discretion,

173

He who withholds grain, the people will curse him,
But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.

176

She is now in the streets, now in the squares,
And lurks by every corner.

178

He who has a crooked mind finds no good,
And he who is perverted in his language falls into evil.

179

For her profit is better than the profit of silver
And her gain better than fine gold.

185

He who despises his neighbor sins,
But happy is he who is gracious to the poor.

186

Do not be among those who give pledges,
Among those who become guarantors for debts.

187

Take hold of instruction; do not let go.
Guard her, for she is your life.

188

A worthless person, a wicked man,
Is the one who walks with a perverse mouth,

189

Calling to those who pass by,
Who are making their paths straight:

190

Folly is joy to him who lacks sense,
But a man of understanding walks straight.

191

A lying tongue hates those it crushes,
And a flattering mouth works ruin.

192

Whoever is naive, let him turn in here,”
And to him who lacks understanding she says,

193

“Stolen water is sweet;
And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”

195

And behold, a woman comes to meet him,
Dressed as a harlot and cunning of heart.

196

So she seizes him and kisses him
And with a brazen face she says to him:

197

She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who hold her fast.

204

He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,

206

Or you will give your vigor to others
And your years to the cruel one;

208

The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer,
But the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.

209

I passed by the field of the sluggard
And by the vineyard of the man lacking sense,

210

Then you will discern righteousness and justice
And equity and every good course.

216

To deliver you from the way of evil,
From the man who speaks perverse things;

218

Will they not go astray who devise evil?
But kindness and truth will be to those who devise good.

220

A wise king winnows the wicked,
And drives the threshing wheel over them.

222

The woman of folly is boisterous,
She is naive and knows nothing.

223

Do not envy a man of violence
And do not choose any of his ways.

224

Do not be afraid of sudden fear
Nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes;

225

By His knowledge the deeps were broken up
And the skies drip with dew.

226

Then you will walk in your way securely
And your foot will not stumble.

228

Wisdom is in the presence of the one who has understanding,
But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.

230

The sluggard buries his hand in the dish,
But will not even bring it back to his mouth.

231

My son, if you have become surety for your neighbor,
Have given a pledge for a stranger,

235

Stripes that wound scour away evil,
And strokes reach the innermost parts.

236

“I walk in the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,

238

The desire of the righteous is only good,
But the expectation of the wicked is wrath.

239

To deliver you from the strange woman,
From the adulteress who flatters with her words;

244

Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise;
When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.

245

He who walks in integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will be found out.

248

And you groan at your final end,
When your flesh and your body are consumed;

250

The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the upright,
But ruin to the workers of iniquity.

252

He who troubles his own house will inherit wind,
And the foolish will be servant to the wisehearted.

253

“My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold,
And my yield better than choicest silver.

254

And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles;
Its surface was covered with nettles,
And its stone wall was broken down.

255

He who winks his eyes does so to devise perverse things;
He who compresses his lips brings evil to pass.

256

Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the lazy one to those who send him.

257

The integrity of the upright will guide them,
But the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them.

258

Can a man take fire in his bosom
And his clothes not be burned?

259

When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices,
And when the wicked perish, there is joyful shouting.

260

She sits at the doorway of her house,
On a seat by the high places of the city,

261

For the upright will live in the land
And the blameless will remain in it;

264

“From everlasting I was established,
From the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth.

265

So they will be life to your soul
And adornment to your neck.

266

Abundant food is in the fallow ground of the poor,
But it is swept away by injustice.

267

She is boisterous and rebellious,
Her feet do not remain at home;

272

The way of the lazy is as a hedge of thorns,
But the path of the upright is a highway.

273

Do not say, “Thus I shall do to him as he has done to me;
I will render to the man according to his work.”

274

Loyalty and truth preserve the king,
And he upholds his throne by righteousness.

275

My son, give attention to my wisdom,
Incline your ear to my understanding;

276

Prepare your work outside
And make it ready for yourself in the field;
Afterwards, then, build your house.

278

When you walk, your steps will not be impeded;
And if you run, you will not stumble.

279

The crown of the wise is their riches,
But the folly of fools is foolishness.

281

Cease listening, my son, to discipline,
And you will stray from the words of knowledge.

284

The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite,
But the stomach of the wicked is in need.

285

The wicked man desires the booty of evil men,
But the root of the righteous yields fruit.

288

The righteous will never be shaken,
But the wicked will not dwell in the land.

289

With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor,
But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.

290

A good man will obtain favor from the Lord,
But He will condemn a man who devises evil.

292

From those who leave the paths of uprightness
To walk in the ways of darkness;

293

Do not contend with a man without cause,
If he has done you no harm.

294

It is also not good to fine the righteous,
Nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.

298

“When He established the heavens, I was there,
When He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,

300

At the last it bites like a serpent
And stings like a viper.

302

If you have been foolish in exalting yourself
Or if you have plotted evil, put your hand on your mouth.

303

Make your ear attentive to wisdom,
Incline your heart to understanding;

304

Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding,
But in the hearts of fools it is made known.

305

The Lord will not allow the righteous to hunger,
But He will reject the craving of the wicked.

309

The righteousness of the blameless will smooth his way,
But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.

310

Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it,”
When you have it with you.

311

My son, keep my words
And treasure my commandments within you.

313

“When there were no depths I was brought forth,
When there were no springs abounding with water.

316

“Listen, for I will speak noble things;
And the opening of my lips will reveal right things.

317

In a multitude of people is a king’s glory,
But in the dearth of people is a prince’s ruin.

320

“All the utterances of my mouth are in righteousness;
There is nothing crooked or perverted in them.

321

For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord,
And He watches all his paths.

322

To endow those who love me with wealth,
That I may fill their treasuries.

323

Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

324

Avoid it, do not pass by it;
Turn away from it and pass on.

325

None who go to her return again,
Nor do they reach the paths of life.

328

The righteousness of the upright will deliver them,
But the treacherous will be caught by their own greed.

329

He who winks the eye causes trouble,
And a babbling fool will be ruined.

331

A man will not be established by wickedness,
But the root of the righteous will not be moved.

332

For they cannot sleep unless they do evil;
And they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble.

333

Do not devise harm against your neighbor,
While he lives securely beside you.

334

“O naive ones, understand prudence;
And, O fools, understand wisdom.

335

And you will be like one who lies down in the middle of the sea,
Or like one who lies down on the top of a mast.

336

“I have not listened to the voice of my teachers,
Nor inclined my ear to my instructors!

338

For the lips of an adulteress drip honey
And smoother than oil is her speech;

339

To keep you from the evil woman,
From the smooth tongue of the adulteress.

340

A man will be praised according to his insight,
But one of perverse mind will be despised.

341

Then he taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart hold fast my words;
Keep my commandments and live;

342

“I was almost in utter ruin
In the midst of the assembly and congregation.”

343

The wicked are overthrown and are no more,
But the house of the righteous will stand.

345

“For my mouth will utter truth;
And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

347

His own iniquities will capture the wicked,
And he will be held with the cords of his sin.

348

For I give you sound teaching;
Do not abandon my instruction.

349

The righteous is delivered from trouble,
But the wicked takes his place.

350

On top of the heights beside the way,
Where the paths meet, she takes her stand;

351

Then I was beside Him, as a master workman;
And I was daily His delight,
Rejoicing always before Him,

352

I was due to offer peace offerings;
Today I have paid my vows.

354

While He had not yet made the earth and the fields,
Nor the first dust of the world.

355

A rascally witness makes a mockery of justice,
And the mouth of the wicked spreads iniquity.

356

Better is he who is lightly esteemed and has a servant
Than he who honors himself and lacks bread.

357

Beside the gates, at the opening to the city,
At the entrance of the doors, she cries out:

358

For they are life to those who find them
And health to all their body.

359

As a loving hind and a graceful doe,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
Be exhilarated always with her love.

360

Bind them continually on your heart;
Tie them around your neck.

361

Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills I was brought forth;

362

The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,
But the mouth of the upright will deliver them.

365

For a harlot is a deep pit
And an adulterous woman is a narrow well.

366

For they eat the bread of wickedness
And drink the wine of violence.

367

If you have been snared with the words of your mouth,
Have been caught with the words of your mouth,

368

But he does not know that the dead are there,
That her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

369

When you walk about, they will guide you;
When you sleep, they will watch over you;
And when you awake, they will talk to you.

370

Do this then, my son, and deliver yourself;
Since you have come into the hand of your neighbor,
Go, humble yourself, and importune your neighbor.

372

“To you, O men, I call,
And my voice is to the sons of men.

373

The evil will bow down before the good,
And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

374

“I have sprinkled my bed
With myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.

375

Do not let them depart from your sight;
Keep them in the midst of your heart.

376

When He set for the sea its boundary
So that the water would not transgress His command,
When He marked out the foundations of the earth;

378

When He made firm the skies above,
When the springs of the deep became fixed,

379

He will die for lack of instruction,
And in the greatness of his folly he will go astray.

380

Let them be yours alone
And not for strangers with you.

381

Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hunter’s hand
And like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

382

“Come, let us drink our fill of love until morning;
Let us delight ourselves with caresses.

383

But in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword.

384

Should your springs be dispersed abroad,
Streams of water in the streets?

385

Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause,
And do not deceive with your lips.

386

The desire of the sluggard puts him to death,
For his hands refuse to work;

388

Suddenly he follows her
As an ox goes to the slaughter,
Or as one in fetters to the discipline of a fool,

390

For why should you, my son, be exhilarated with an adulteress
And embrace the bosom of a foreigner?

392

A worker’s appetite works for him,
For his hunger urges him on.

393

Give no sleep to your eyes,
Nor slumber to your eyelids;

394

Or can a man walk on hot coals
And his feet not be scorched?

395

That you may observe discretion
And your lips may reserve knowledge.

396

“Therefore I have come out to meet you,
To seek your presence earnestly, and I have found you.

397

Keep my commandments and live,
And my teaching as the apple of your eye.

398

He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself,
And he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself.

399

Rejoicing in the world, His earth,
And having my delight in the sons of men.

400

Now therefore, my sons, listen to me,
And pay attention to the words of my mouth.

401

So is the one who goes in to his neighbor’s wife;
Whoever touches her will not go unpunished.

403

Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser,
Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.

404

Do not look on the wine when it is red,
When it sparkles in the cup,
When it goes down smoothly;

405

That they may keep you from an adulteress,
From the foreigner who flatters with her words.

406

For at the window of my house
I looked out through my lattice,

407

Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you,
Reprove a wise man and he will love you.

408

The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked,
But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous.

409

Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head
And ornaments about your neck.

412

“I have spread my couch with coverings,
With colored linens of Egypt.

413

Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
And call understanding your intimate friend;

414

He whose ear listens to the life-giving reproof
Will dwell among the wise.

416

Until an arrow pierces through his liver;
As a bird hastens to the snare,
So he does not know that it will cost him his life.

418

When you sit down to dine with a ruler,
Consider carefully what is before you,

419

He has taken a bag of money with him,
At the full moon he will come home.”

421

Like apples of gold in settings of silver
Is a word spoken in right circumstances.

422

It is a trap for a man to say rashly, “It is holy!”
And after the vows to make inquiry.

428

And I saw among the naive,
And discerned among the youths
A young man lacking sense,

430

Does not wisdom call,
And understanding lift up her voice?

431

Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways,
Do not stray into her paths.

432

Wisdom has built her house,
She has hewn out her seven pillars;

433

For many are the victims she has cast down,
And numerous are all her slain.

434

Forsake your folly and live,
And proceed in the way of understanding.”

435

All day long he is craving,
While the righteous gives and does not hold back.

437

Bind them on your fingers;
Write them on the tablet of your heart.

439

She has prepared her food, she has mixed her wine;
She has also set her table;

442

The words of King Lemuel, the oracle which his mother taught him:

444

Whoever is naive, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks understanding she says,

448

The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the oracle.The man declares to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:

451

She has sent out her maidens, she calls
From the tops of the heights of the city:

452

“Come, eat of my food
And drink of the wine I have mixed.

454

He who separates himself seeks his own desire,
He quarrels against all sound wisdom.

455

If you have nothing with which to pay,
Why should he take your bed from under you?

458

Surely she lurks as a robber,
And increases the faithless among men.

466

A wicked man receives a bribe from the bosom
To pervert the ways of justice.

469

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination,
How much more when he brings it with evil intent!

476

Who has ascended into heaven and descended?
Who has gathered the wind in His fists?
Who has wrapped the waters in His garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is His name or His son’s name?
Surely you know!

483

There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more,
And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want.

486

The naive believes everything,
But the sensible man considers his steps.

490

Wisdom shouts in the street,
She lifts her voice in the square;

491

By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for,
And by the fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil.

494

If the righteous will be rewarded in the earth,
How much more the wicked and the sinner!

496

When the righteous increase, the people rejoice,
But when a wicked man rules, people groan.

497

A truthful witness saves lives,
But he who utters lies is treacherous.

500

To know wisdom and instruction,
To discern the sayings of understanding,

504

Let your eyes look directly ahead
And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.

507

A false witness will perish,
But the man who listens to the truth will speak forever.

508

Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has contentions? Who has complaining?
Who has wounds without cause?
Who has redness of eyes?

513

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
But the prayer of the upright is His delight.

514

The Lord by wisdom founded the earth,
By understanding He established the heavens.

527

Deliver those who are being taken away to death,
And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back.

532

It is by his deeds that a lad distinguishes himself
If his conduct is pure and right.

537

For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again,
But the wicked stumble in time of calamity.

541

The backslider in heart will have his fill of his own ways,
But a good man will be satisfied with his.

542

He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord,
But he who is devious in his ways despises Him.

544

All the days of the afflicted are bad,
But a cheerful heart has a continual feast.

548

The first to plead his case seems right,
Until another comes and examines him.

554

Do not claim honor in the presence of the king,
And do not stand in the place of great men;

555

These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, transcribed.

558

If a ruler pays attention to falsehood,
All his ministers become wicked.

565

Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
Or you will also be like him.

571

Do not add to His words
Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar.

572

The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters;
The fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.

573

Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;
A stranger, and not your own lips.

577

Wisdom is too exalted for a fool,
He does not open his mouth in the gate.

579

The one who despises the word will be in debt to it,
But the one who fears the commandment will be rewarded.

587

The one who commits adultery with a woman is lacking sense;
He who would destroy himself does it.

589

Truthful lips will be established forever,
But a lying tongue is only for a moment.

601

Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,
And apply your mind to my knowledge;

602

For lack of wood the fire goes out,
And where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down.

606

Drive out the scoffer, and contention will go out,
Even strife and dishonor will cease.

609

A wicked man displays a bold face,
But as for the upright, he makes his way sure.

611

It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
It is not for kings to drink wine,
Or for rulers to desire strong drink,

612

Strike a scoffer and the naive may become shrewd,
But reprove one who has understanding and he will gain knowledge.

617

Those who linger long over wine,
Those who go to taste mixed wine.

618

Your eyes will see strange things
And your mind will utter perverse things.

619

What, O my son?
And what, O son of my womb?
And what, O son of my vows?

620

Like snow in summer and like rain in harvest,
So honor is not fitting for a fool.

621

Give her the product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.

622

The leech has two daughters,
“Give,” “Give.”
There are three things that will not be satisfied,
Four that will not say, “Enough”:

624

She looks for wool and flax
And works with her hands in delight.

625

A plan in the heart of a man is like deep water,
But a man of understanding draws it out.

630