45 Must-Read Proverbs to be a Proverbs 31 Woman – The Bible in Lent: Day 19

Okay, I’m going to come right out and admit that this title is a little misleading because all of Scripture should be classified as “must-read.” But these are some of my favorite Proverbs, the ones I’ve found to be most applicable to my life as a 21st-century American woman. 

The famous Proverbs 31 passage on the beloved wife and mother is the source many Christian women go to for inspiration. We all want to be a Proverbs 31 woman. But I’ve come to realize that in order to be a Proverbs 31 woman, I need to know the wisdom of the whole of Proverbs, not just that passage. 

Here are 45 of my favorite pieces of wisdom from the Book of Proverbs (all are in RSVCE): 

1. 1. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. – Proverbs 1:7
   2. Let not loyalty and faithfulness forsake you; bind them about your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. – Proverbs 3:3 
   3. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. – Proverbs 3:5-6
   4. My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof,  for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights. -Proverbs 3:11-12
   5. Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. – Proverbs 3:2
   6. Do not contend with a man for no reason, when he has done you no harm. – Proverbs 3:30
   7. Keep your heart with all vigilance; for from it flow the springs of life. – Proverbs 4:23
   8. Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. – Proverbs 3:25
   9. Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer or ruler, she prepares her food in summer, and gathers her sustenance in harvest. – Proverbs 6:6-8
   10. Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. – Proverbs 9:8
   11. Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death. – Proverbs 10:2
   12. He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out. – Proverbs 10:10
   13. Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. – Proverbs 10:12
   14. He who heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof goes astray. – Proverbs 10:17
   15. When pride comes, then comes disgrace; but with the humble is wisdom. – Proverbs 11:2
   16. Where there is no guidance, a people falls; but in an abundance of counselors there is safety. – Proverbs 11:14
   17. Be assured, an evil man will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will be delivered. – Proverbs 11: 21 
   18. Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid. – Proverbs 12:1
   19. Better is a man of humble standing who works for himself than one who plays the great man but lacks bread. – Proverbs 12:9
   20. There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. – Proverbs 12:18
   21. Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. – Proverbs 12:25
   22. Wealth hastily gotten will dwindle, but he who gathers little by little will increase it. – Proverbs 13:11
   23. There is a way which seems right to a man,  but its end is the way to death. – Proverbs 14:12
   24. A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. – Proverbs 15:1
   25. A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. – Proverbs 15:4
   26. Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. – Proverbs 16:3
   27. There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. – Proverbs 16:25
   28. He who forgives an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter alienates a friend. – Proverbs 17:9
   29. A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. – Proverbs 17:17
   30. Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent. – Proverbs 17:29
   31. The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. – Proverbs 18:10
   32. Good sense makes a man slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense – Proverbs 19:11
   33. To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. – Proverbs 21:3
   34. He who closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself cry out and not be heard. – Proverbs 21:13
   35. Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare. – Provers 22: 24-25
       
   36. A righteous man falls seven times, and rises again; but the wicked are overthrown by calamity. – Proverbs 24:16
   37. Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked – Proverbs 24:19
   38. It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out. – Proverbs 25:1
   39. Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Proverbs 27:5
   40. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy. – Proverbs 27:6
   41. He who augments his wealth by interest and increase gathers it for him who is kind to the poor. – Proverb 28:8
   42. He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. – Proverbs 28:13
   43. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord always; but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity. – Proverbs 28:14
   44. Two things I ask of thee; deny them not to me before I die:  Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me,  lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor, and steal, and profane the name of my God. – Proverbs 30:7-9
   45. There are those who are pure in their own eyes but are not cleansed of their filth. – Proverbs 30:12

   If I want to be a Proverbs 31 woman, I need the wisdom from the Book of Proverbs.

   We all need this wisdom.

   Commit these sayings to memory. Read through these wise sayings regularly so that they are close to your heart and quickly bought to mind. 

   One neat thing about the Book of Proverbs is that there are 31 books which makes it an easy go-to read throughout your month. If you’re looking to grow in wisdom or trying to read your Bible more, simply look at the calendar and read whichever chapter corresponds with that day of the month. 

   This is a great way to easily develop consistent Bible reading and to become more familiar with the great wisdom of Proverbs. 

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