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14 (A)Do not enter the path of wicked men
And do not step into the way of evil men.
15 Avoid it, do not pass by it;
(B)Stray from it and pass on.
16 For they (C)do not sleep unless they do evil;
And [a]they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble.
17 For they (D)eat the bread of wickedness
And drink the wine of violence.
18 But the (E)path of the righteous is like the (F)light of dawn,
That (G)shines brighter and brighter until the (H)fullness of day.
19 The (I)way of the wicked is like thick darkness;
They do not know over what they [b](J)stumble.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 4:16 Lit their sleep is robbed
  2. Proverbs 4:19 Or may stumble

14 Do not travel on the path of the wicked.
Do not walk in the way of evil people.
15 Avoid it! Do not travel on it!
Turn away from it. Pass it by.
16 For they cannot sleep
    unless they have been doing wrong,
and they are robbed of sleep
    unless they are making someone stumble,
17 because wickedness is the food they eat,
and violence is the wine they drink.
18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
shining brighter and brighter until it is day.
19 The way of the wicked is like gloomy darkness.
They never know where they will stumble.

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20 (A)He who walks with the wise will be wise,
But the friend of fools will suffer harm.

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20 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,
but a companion of fools suffers harm.

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Leave the (A)presence of a fool,
As you have not known lips of knowledge there.

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Keep away from a foolish person,
since you will not learn anything from his lips.

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19 It is better to be (A)humble in spirit with the lowly
Than to (B)divide the spoil with the proud.

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19 Better to share a humble spirit with the oppressed
    than to share stolen goods with the haughty.

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19 He who (A)goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets,
Therefore do not associate with [a](B)one of loose lips.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 20:19 Lit one who opens his lips

19 A person who goes around spreading gossip reveals secrets,
so do not associate with anyone whose lips are always open.

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(A)Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked;
He who keeps his soul will be far from them.

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Thorns and traps are on the road followed by the crooked.
Whoever guards his soul[a] will stay far away from them.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 22:5 Or his life

24 Do not befriend a man of anger;
And do not come along with a man of (A)great wrath,
25 Lest you (B)learn his ways
And take on a snare against your soul.

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24 Do not be friends with a hothead.
Do not go along with someone who has a hot temper.
25 If you do, you will learn his ways
and set a trap for yourself.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 22:25 Or for your soul

(A)Do not eat the bread of [a]a (B)selfish man,
And do not desire his delicacies;
For as he [b]calculates in his soul, so he is.
“Eat and drink!” he says to you,
But (C)his heart is not with you.
You will (D)vomit up [c]the morsel you have eaten,
And you will corrupt your pleasant words.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:6 Lit an evil eye
  2. Proverbs 23:7 Lit reckons in his soul
  3. Proverbs 23:8 Lit your

Do not eat the food of a miser.
Do not crave his delicious food,
because he is calculating how much things cost him.
So when he says to you, “Eat and drink,”
he does not mean it.
You will vomit up the little bit you ate
and spoil your pleasant conversation.

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20 Do not be with (A)heavy drinkers of wine,
Or with (B)gluttonous eaters of meat;
21 For the (C)heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty,
And (D)drowsiness will clothe them with rags.

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20 Do not be among those who drink too much wine,
or those who eat too much meat,
21 because a drunk and a glutton will become poor,
and drunken stupor dresses a person in rags.

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My Son, Fear Yahweh

24 Do not be (A)jealous of evil men,
And do not desire to (B)be with them;
For their heart meditates on (C)destruction,
And their lips (D)talk of mischief.

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24 Do not envy evil people,
and do not wish to be with them,
because their hearts plan violence,
and their lips speak trouble.

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21 My son, [a](A)fear Yahweh and the king;
Do not associate with those who change,
22 For suddenly their (B)disaster will rise,
And who knows the upheaval that comes from both of them?

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 24:21 Or reverence

21 Fear the Lord, my son, and also the king.
Do not associate with those who are rebellious,
22 because their disaster will take place suddenly.
Who knows what ruin the Lord and the king will cause?

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