14 (A)Do not enter the path of the wicked,
And do not walk in the way of evil.
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
Turn away from it and pass on.
16 (B)For they do not sleep unless they have done evil;
And their sleep is [a]taken away unless they make someone fall.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness,
And drink the wine of violence.

18 (C)But the path of the just (D)is like the shining [b]sun,
That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.
19 (E)The way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know what makes them stumble.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 4:16 Lit. robbed
  2. Proverbs 4:18 Lit. light

14 Enter not into the path of the wicked,
And walk not in the way of evil men.
15 Avoid it, pass not by it;
Turn from it, and pass on.
16 For they sleep not, except they do evil;
And their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness,
And drink the wine of violence.
18 But the path of the righteous is as the dawning light,
That shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
19 The way of the wicked is as darkness:
They know not at what they stumble.

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20 He who walks with wise men will be wise,
But the companion of fools will be destroyed.

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20 [a]Walk with wise men, and thou shalt be wise;
But the companion of fools shall [b]smart for it.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 13:20 According to another reading, He that walketh with wise men shall be wise.
  2. Proverbs 13:20 Hebrew be broken.

Go from the presence of a foolish man,
When you do not perceive in him the lips of (A)knowledge.

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[a]Go into the presence of a foolish man,
And thou shalt not perceive in him the lips of knowledge.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 14:7 Or, Go from . . . For thou wilt not etc.

19 Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly,
Than to divide the [a]spoil with the proud.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 16:19 plunder

19 Better it is to be of a lowly spirit with the [a]poor,
Than to divide the spoil with the proud.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 16:19 Or, meek

19 (A)He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets;
Therefore do not associate with one (B)who flatters with his lips.

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19 He that goeth about as a tale-bearer revealeth secrets;
Therefore company not with him that openeth wide his lips.

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Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
He who guards his soul will be far from them.

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Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse:
He that keepeth his soul shall be far from them.

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24 Make no friendship with an angry man,
And with a (A)furious man do not go,
25 Lest you learn his ways
And set a snare for your soul.

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24 Make no friendship with a man that is given to anger;
And with a wrathful man thou shalt not go:
25 Lest thou learn his ways,
And get a snare to thy soul.

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Do not eat the bread of (A)a[a] miser,
Nor desire his delicacies;
For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.
“Eat and drink!” (B)he says to you,
But his heart is not with you.
The morsel you have eaten, you will vomit up,
And waste your pleasant words.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:6 Lit. one who has an evil eye

Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye,
Neither desire thou his dainties:
For [a]as he thinketh within himself, so is he:
Eat and drink, saith he to thee;
But his heart is not with thee.
The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up,
And lose thy sweet words.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:7 Or, as one that reckoneth

20 (A)Do not mix with winebibbers,
Or with gluttonous eaters of meat;
21 For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,
And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.

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20 Be not among winebibbers,
Among gluttonous eaters of flesh:
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty;
And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.

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Do Not Envy Evil Men

24 Do not be (A)envious of evil men,
Nor desire to be with them;
For their heart devises violence,
And their lips talk of troublemaking.

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24 Be not thou envious against evil men;
Neither desire to be with them:
For their heart studieth oppression,
And their lips talk of mischief.

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21 My son, (A)fear the Lord and the king;
Do not associate with those given to change;
22 For their calamity will rise suddenly,
And who knows the ruin those two can bring?

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21 My son, fear thou Jehovah and the king;
And company not with them that are given to change:
22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly;
And the destruction [a]from them both, who knoweth it?

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 24:22 Or, of their years