Proverbs is a parent's counsel to a child about how to live wisely: trust the Lord with all your heart, guard your heart, answer softly, beware of pride, and value a good name over riches. It closes with a portrait of a woman of strength and faith. Ecclesiastes asks harder questions: if everything under the sun passes away, what's the point? Its answer: there's a season for everything, life is a gift, and the whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments.
Chapter
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The text shown is the King James Version, the Church's preferred English Bible for classes and meetings. The General Handbook lists the ESV and NRSV as helpful translations for ages 14 and up. They are copyrighted, so they open on their publishers' sites. Highlighted verses have a study note with links to compare that verse.
Study guide
Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are Israel's wisdom books. These notes help you read short sayings well and understand Ecclesiastes' searching questions.
How to read this week
Read Proverbs as principles, not promises. A proverb describes how life generally works (22:6), not a guarantee in every case.
Learn what “the fear of the LORD” means. It's reverent love and awe that lead to obedience. Elder Bednar's talk explains it well.
Pick one proverb a day. Many proverbs stand alone. Choose one, think about it, and try to live it.
Read Ecclesiastes to the end. “Vanity” means breath or vapor: life “under the sun” passes quickly. The book's conclusion (12:13) is its key.
Notice Proverbs 31 as a portrait. It's a poem (an acrostic in Hebrew) about a capable, generous, faithful woman, and about the wisdom she embodies.
Two kinds of wisdom
Prov 1–9 — A parent's instruction: choose wisdom over folly
Prov 10–29 — Collections of short sayings
Prov 31 — The woman of strength
Eccl 1–2 — The search for meaning under the sun
Eccl 3 — A time for everything
Eccl 11–12 — Remember your Creator; fear God and keep His commandments
Images and ideas to recognize
Passage
Image
What it means
Prov 1:20
Wisdom crying in the streets
God's wisdom available to all who'll listen.
Prov 3:6
Directed paths
God guiding the lives of those who trust Him.
Prov 4:18
Light growing to the perfect day
Gradual growth in light and truth.
Prov 31:10
Rubies
The surpassing worth of a woman of faith.
Eccl 1:2
Vapor (vanity)
Life's fleeting nature.
Eccl 11:1
Bread on the waters
Generosity that returns in time.
Restoration connections
D&C 88:118 — “Seek learning, even by study and also by faith.”
D&C 50:24 — “That which is of God is light … brighter and brighter until the perfect day.”
2 Nephi 9:28–29 — “To be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God.”
Alma 37:35 — “Learn wisdom in thy youth.”
Questions for the week
In what decision do you need to “lean not unto thine own understanding” right now (Prov 3:5–6)?
What does it look like to “keep thy heart with all diligence” (Prov 4:23)?
When has a soft answer turned away anger, for you or someone else (Prov 15:1)?
What qualities from Proverbs 31 do you most admire in the people around you?
What season of life are you in? How does Ecclesiastes 3 help you see it (3:1–11)?
Conference talks & Church resources
Talks the Church's lesson points to this week, plus other Church resources that teach from these chapters.
Scholarly papers
Faithful scholarship from BYU and related publishers, tagged with the chapters each one discusses.
Podcasts & video
Come, Follow Me shows and episodes covering this week's reading.