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14 Don’t enter into the path of the wicked.
    Don’t walk in the way of evil men.
15 Avoid it, and don’t pass by it.
    Turn from it, and pass on.
16 For they don’t sleep unless they do evil.
    Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness
    and drink the wine of violence.
18 But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light
    that shines more and more until the perfect day.
19 The way of the wicked is like darkness.
    They don’t know what they stumble over.

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

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Footnotes

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

20 One who walks with wise men grows wise,
    but a companion of fools suffers harm.

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20 (A)One who walks with wise people will be wise,
But a companion of fools will suffer harm.

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Stay away from a foolish man,
    for you won’t find knowledge on his lips.

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Leave the (A)presence of a fool,
Or you will not [a]discern [b]words of knowledge.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 14:7 Lit know
  2. Proverbs 14:7 Lit lips

19 It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor,
    than to divide the plunder with the proud.

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

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19 He who goes about as a tale-bearer reveals secrets;
    therefore don’t keep company with him who opens wide his lips.

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19 One who (A)goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets;
Therefore do not associate with [a](B)a gossip.

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Footnotes

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

Thorns and snares are in the path of the wicked:
    whoever guards his soul stays from them.

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(A)Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
One who guards himself will be far from them.

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24 Don’t befriend a hot-tempered man,
    and don’t associate with one who harbors anger:
25 lest you learn his ways,
    and ensnare your soul.

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24 Do not make friends with a person given to anger,
Or go with a (A)hot-tempered person,
25 Or you will (B)learn his ways
And [a]find a snare for yourself.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 22:25 Lit take

Don’t eat the food of him who has a stingy eye,
    and don’t crave his delicacies:
    for as he thinks about the cost, so he is.
    “Eat and drink!” he says to you,
    but his heart is not with you.
The morsel which you have eaten you shall vomit up,
    and lose your good words.

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(A)Do not eat the bread of [a]a (B)selfish person;
Or desire his delicacies;
For as he [b]thinks within himself, so he is.
He says to you, “Eat and drink!”
But (C)his heart is not with you.
You will (D)vomit up [c]the morsel you have eaten
And waste your [d]compliments.

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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
  4. Proverbs 23:8 Lit pleasant words

20 Don’t be among ones drinking too much wine,
    or those who gorge themselves on meat:
21 for the drunkard and the glutton shall become poor;
    and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

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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 one with rags.

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24 Don’t be envious of evil men,
    neither desire to be with them;
for their hearts plot violence
    and their lips talk about mischief.

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Precepts and Warnings

24 Do not be (A)envious of evil people,
Nor desire to (B)be with them;
For their [a]minds plot (C)violence,
And their lips (D)talk of trouble.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 24:2 Lit hearts

21 My son, fear Yahweh and the king.
    Don’t join those who are rebellious;
22 for their calamity will rise suddenly.
    Who knows what destruction may come from them both?

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21 My son, [a](A)fear the Lord and the king;
Do not get involved with those [b]of high rank,
22 For their (B)disaster will rise suddenly,
And who knows the ruin that can come from both of them?

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 24:21 Or revere
  2. Proverbs 24:21 Or who change