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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

Avoiding the Ways of the Wicked

14 Do not enter the path of the wicked,
    or go along the way of evil men.
15 Avoid it! Don’t travel on it!
    Turn away from it, and pass on by.
16 For they cannot sleep unless they are doing evil,
    and they are robbed of their sleep unless they cause someone to stumble.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness,
    and they drink the wine of violence.

18 The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn
    that grows brighter until the full light of day.
19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness,
    and they do not know what they are stumbling over.

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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 keeps company with the wise becomes wise,
    but the 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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Stay away from a foolish man,
    for you will not find competent advice.

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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 be humble among the poor,
    than to share what is stolen with the proud.

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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 Whoever spreads gossip betrays confidences;
    so don’t get involved with someone who talks too much.

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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 snares lie in the path of the perverse person,
    but whoever is cautious stays far away from them.

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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 Don’t make friends with a hot-tempered man,
    and do not associate with someone who is easily angered,
25 or you may learn his ways
    and find yourself caught in a trap.

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(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

Don’t consume food provided by a miserly[a] person,
    and don’t desire his delicacies,
for as he thinks within himself, so he is.
    “Eat and drink!” he’ll say to you,
        but his heart won’t be with you.
You’ll vomit up what little you’ve eaten,
    and your compliments will have been wasted.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:6 Lit. by the evil eyed

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 Don’t associate with heavy drinkers
    or dine with gluttons,
21 because drunks and gluttons tend to become poor,
    and drowsiness will clothe them 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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Benefits of Wisdom

24 Don’t be envious of wicked men
or wish you were with them,
because they[a] plan violence,
    and they are always talking[b] about trouble.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 24:2 Lit. because their hearts
  2. Proverbs 24:2 Lit. and their lips talk

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 My son, fear both the Lord and the king,
    and don’t keep company with rebels.
22 They will be destroyed suddenly,
    and who knows what kind of punishment will come from these two?

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