Proverbs (“Mishlei”), the second book of the section in the Hebrew Bible called Writings, contains guidance for living a wise, moral, and righteous life, in the form of poems and short statements. It consists of both general observations about human nature as well as lessons directly instructing the listener to take a course of action, covering themes like avoiding bad influences, the value of hard work, properly using the power of speech, and the importance of fearing God.