Proverbs 10

1 The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a glad father; but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.

2 Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death.

3 The LORD will not allow the soul of the righteous to go hungry, but he thrusts away the desire of the wicked.

4 He becomes poor who works with a lazy hand, but the hand of the diligent brings wealth.

5 He who gathers in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during the harvest is a son who causes shame.

6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

7 The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot.

8 The wise in heart accept commandments, but a chattering fool will fall.

9 He who walks blamelessly walks surely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out.

10 One who winks with the eye causes sorrow, but a chattering fool will fall.

11 The mouth of the righteous is a spring of life, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

12 Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all wrongs.

13 Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has discernment, but a rod is for the back of him who is void of understanding.

14 Wise men lay up knowledge, but the mouth of the foolish is near ruin.

15 The rich man’s wealth is his strong city. The destruction of the poor is their poverty.

16 The labor of the righteous leads to life. The increase of the wicked leads to sin.

17 He is in the way of life who heeds correction, but he who forsakes reproof leads others astray.

18 He who hides hatred has lying lips. He who utters a slander is a fool.

19 In the multitude of words there is no lack of disobedience, but he who restrains his lips does wisely.

20 The tongue of the righteous is like choice silver. The heart of the wicked is of little worth.

21 The lips of the righteous feed many, but the foolish die for lack of understanding.

22 The LORD’s blessing brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.

23 It is a fool’s pleasure to do wickedness, but wisdom is a man of understanding’s pleasure.

24 What the wicked fear will overtake them, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.

25 When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more; but the righteous stand firm forever.

26 As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him.

27 The fear of the LORD prolongs days, but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.

28 The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hope of the wicked will perish.

29 The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the upright, but it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity.

30 The righteous will never be removed, but the wicked will not dwell in the land.

31 The mouth of the righteous produces wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off.

32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked is perverse.

Around Proverbs 10

Context

Context for this book is being written. A note appears here only once it names its sources.

AI explanation

About Proverbs as a whole · Written by an AI model · Not reviewed by a theological reader

This explanation was written by an AI model to help you get started. It names no sources and can contain mistakes. Scripture comes first, and context with sources is shown separately on this page.

What this book is about

Two voices call from the high places of a city, and both want the same passers-by. “Wisdom has built her house”, the ninth chapter says. She has set her table and sent out her maidens, and she calls the simple to leave their simple ways. Across the street, a loud and undisciplined woman, Folly, sits at her door and calls the very same crowd.

That picture captures the whole book. Proverbs gathers short sayings and longer poems about living wisely. Its starting point is that “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” It contrasts the wise and the foolish in speech, work, money, friendship, marriage and the raising of children.

In the opening chapters wisdom is pictured as a woman calling out in the streets. The book ends with a poem in praise of a capable wife.

Background

Most of the sayings are linked with Solomon. Others are credited to Agur, to King Lemuel and to unnamed wise teachers, and one section was copied by officials of King Hezekiah about two centuries after Solomon (25:1). Similar collections of wisdom are known from Egypt and Mesopotamia.

How Christians read it

A proverb states what is generally true, not a guarantee for every case. Reading the sayings as promises leads to disappointment, and the books of Job and Ecclesiastes show the exceptions. The New Testament speaks of Christ as the wisdom of God, and many Christians read the figure of wisdom in chapter 8 in that light.

About this explanation

Written by Claude Sonnet 5.5, an AI model, on 19 October 2026. It draws on the WEB text and general knowledge and was not checked against sources by a person. Every quotation from Scripture is checked automatically against the WEB text.

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World English Bible. Public-domain source and edition notes