Proverbs 4:14-19
The Voice
14 Do not start down the road of the wicked—
the first step is easy, but it leads to heartache—
do not go along the way of evildoers.
15 Stay away from it; don’t even go past it—
and if you find yourself anywhere near it,
turn your back and run as far as you can in the opposite direction.
16 For evildoers are so twisted they cannot sleep unless they have caused harm;
they’ll lie awake all night until they figure out a way to cause someone to stumble.
17 For they feed on evil the way most eat bread;
they drink violence the way most guzzle wine.
18 Yet the way of those who do right is like the early morning sun
that shines brighter and brighter until noon.
19 Evildoers travel a dark road because they love to hide their deeds in darkness;
they can’t see the perils ahead that cause them to stumble.
Proverbs 13:20
The Voice
20 One who walks with the wise becomes wise,
but whoever keeps company with fools only hurts himself.
Proverbs 14:7
The Voice
7 Walk away from the company of fools,
for you cannot find insight in their words.
Proverbs 16:19
The Voice
19 It is better to be humble and live among the poor,
than to divide up stolen property with the proud.
Proverbs 20:19
The Voice
19 A gossip will reveal your secrets!
So avoid the company of people who talk openly and foolishly.
Proverbs 22:5
The Voice
5 Thorny branches and traps lie ahead for those who follow perverse paths;
those who want to preserve themselves will steer clear of them.
Proverbs 22:24-25
The Voice
24 Do not befriend someone given to anger
or hang around with a hothead.
25 Odds are, you’ll learn his ways, become angry as well,
and get caught in a trap.
Proverbs 23:6-8
The Voice
6 Do not sit down and eat the bread of a tight-fisted fellow
or desire any of his delicacies,
7 For deep down he’s keeping track of the cost.
He may say, “Eat up! Drink your fill!”
but he does not mean a word of it.
8 You’ll be sick and lose what little you did eat,
and you’ll waste your breath carrying on a pleasant conversation.
Proverbs 23:20-21
The Voice
20 Do not spend time with heavy wine drinkers
or those who gorge themselves on meat.
21 For both the drunk and the glutton will end up broke,
sleeping life away, and clothed in rags.
Proverbs 24:1-2
The Voice
The abuse of alcohol is as ancient as the first batch of Egyptian beer or the first sip of Noah’s wine (Genesis 9:20–21). Its wide availability today has made for binge drinking on college campuses, underage drinking by young teens, drunk driving on city streets, and alcoholic rants and abuse in the home. The sage offers a tragic description of a young man who goes from drink to drink and cannot get his bearings in life. Too many people lose so much life in an alcoholic stupor.
24 Do not envy evil people
or seek their friendship;
2 For they are conniving and violent,
and all they talk about is causing trouble.
Proverbs 24:21-22
The Voice
21 My son, fear both the Eternal and His anointed ruler.
It is not wise to associate with those rebelling against them
22 Because disaster can arise from either of them without warning,
and who knows what destruction comes down from both of them?
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
