By The Water
Proverbs has 31 chapters and 915 verses. In the King James text that is 15,038 words, which takes about 1 hr 15 min to read at an ordinary pace of 200 words a minute — 31 chapters of practical wisdom — one for each day of the month.
Proverbs in numbers
| Chapters | 31 |
|---|---|
| Verses | 915 |
| Words (KJV) | 15,038 |
| Reading time at 200 wpm | 1 hr 15 min |
| Testament | Old Testament |
| Type of writing | Wisdom sayings |
| Author | Solomon, with named later collections |
| Place in the Bible | Collected over generations; chapters 25–29 copied out under Hezekiah |
Counted from the King James text in the By The Water app, not estimated. See the same figures for all 66 books.
Proverbs is the most immediately useful book in the Bible and the easiest to misread. It is a collection of short sayings about how life generally goes: work and laziness, money, friendship, anger, speech, sex, and the difference between wisdom and cleverness. Thirty-one chapters, which is why reading one a day for a month is such a common habit.
The misreading is treating each proverb as a promise. They are observations about the way the world usually works, not guarantees — which is exactly why Job and Ecclesiastes sit next to Proverbs in the Bible, arguing the other side. Read all three and you get a far more honest picture than any one of them alone.
Chapters 1–9 are different from the rest: long poems, addressed to a son, personifying wisdom as a woman calling out in the street. From chapter 10 the book becomes short two-line sayings, which is where a slower pace helps. Reading thirty in a row is like eating a whole jar of something meant for a spoonful.
Key chapters in Proverbs
- Proverbs 1–9 — The long opening poems — wisdom calling in the street.
- Proverbs 3:5–6 — “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart.”
- Proverbs 15:1 — “A soft answer turneth away wrath.”
- Proverbs 22–24 — The “sayings of the wise.”
- Proverbs 31 — The woman of valour, and a mother’s advice to a king.
Read Proverbs in a month
Split by verse count rather than by chapter, so the days come out even — no more than about 4 minutes on the heaviest day. Print it, or tick it off on screen.
| Done | Day | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Proverbs 1 | |
| Day 2 | Proverbs 2 | |
| Day 3 | Proverbs 3 | |
| Day 4 | Proverbs 4 | |
| Day 5 | Proverbs 5 | |
| Day 6 | Proverbs 6 | |
| Day 7 | Proverbs 7 | |
| Day 8 | Proverbs 8 | |
| Day 9 | Proverbs 9–10 | |
| Day 10 | Proverbs 11 | |
| Day 11 | Proverbs 12 | |
| Day 12 | Proverbs 13 | |
| Day 13 | Proverbs 14 | |
| Day 14 | Proverbs 15 | |
| Day 15 | Proverbs 16 | |
| Day 16 | Proverbs 17 | |
| Day 17 | Proverbs 18 | |
| Day 18 | Proverbs 19 | |
| Day 19 | Proverbs 20 | |
| Day 20 | Proverbs 21 | |
| Day 21 | Proverbs 22 | |
| Day 22 | Proverbs 23 | |
| Day 23 | Proverbs 24 | |
| Day 24 | Proverbs 25 | |
| Day 25 | Proverbs 26 | |
| Day 26 | Proverbs 27 | |
| Day 27 | Proverbs 28 | |
| Day 28 | Proverbs 29 | |
| Day 29 | Proverbs 30 | |
| Day 30 | Proverbs 31 |
Where Proverbs falls in a one-year plan
If you are reading the whole Bible in 2027, here is when you reach Proverbs in each of the four plans on this site — computed from the plans themselves, with 2027 dates.
| Plan | When you read Proverbs | Reading days |
|---|---|---|
| Bible in a Year | Days 247–259 (Sat, Sep 4 to Thu, Sep 16) | 13 days |
| Chronological | Days 146–202 (Wed, May 26 to Wed, Jul 21) | 12 days |
| Cover to Cover | Days 193–203 (Mon, Jul 12 to Thu, Jul 22) | 11 days |
| New to the Bible | Days 119–129 (Thu, Apr 29 to Sun, May 9) | 11 days |
Each plan is printable in full: compare all four reading plans.
Paper plans work — until you miss a day
A printed plan is a good start. The trouble usually comes in February: a busy week, three unticked boxes, then six, and the plan quietly ends. By The Water has this exact plan built in, and it is designed for the days life gets in the way.
- Today's reading, readyOpen the app and today's chapters are waiting on the Today tab. No hunting for where you left off.
- Every chapter tracked and savedEach chapter you read is checked off and saved to your account, so a new phone doesn't mean starting over.
- See how far you've comeA progress ring shows how much of the Bible you've read, and how far through the current book you are.
- A finish date that moves with you“Started Jan 2027 · Estimated finish: Dec 2027” updates as you read, so you always know where you stand.
- Miss a day without falling apartThe plan picks up at your next unread chapter, not a calendar date — so a missed week never becomes a wall of overdue readings.
- Reminders and streaksA daily reminder at the time you choose, and a reading streak to keep you coming back.
Free to start: the reading plans, progress tracking, streaks and reminders are all free in the app.
Nearby books
- The Book of Psalms — 150 chapters, 3 hr 33 min
- The Book of Job — 42 chapters, 1 hr 30 min
- The Book of Isaiah — 66 chapters, 3 hr 5 min
- All 66 books — chapters, verses and reading time
- How long does it take to read the whole Bible?