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Saturday, June 28th, 2025
the Week of Proper 7 / Ordinary 12
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Read the Bible

New King James Version

Proverbs 4:12

When you walk, your steps will not be hindered, And when you run, you will not stumble.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Wisdom;   Young Men;   Thompson Chain Reference - Call, Divine;   God's;   Righteous, the;   Righteous-Wicked;   Saint's;   Saints;   Steps, Saints';   Wisdom;   Wisdom-Folly;  

Dictionaries:

- Holman Bible Dictionary - Proverbs, Book of;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Proverbs book of;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for December 30;   Every Day Light - Devotion for February 4;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When you walk, your steps will not be hindered;when you run, you will not stumble.
Hebrew Names Version
When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.
King James Version
When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
English Standard Version
When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble.
New Century Version
Nothing will hold you back; you will not be overwhelmed.
New English Translation
When you walk, your steps will not be hampered, and when you run, you will not stumble.
Amplified Bible
When you walk, your steps will not be impeded [for your path will be clear and open]; And when you run, you will not stumble.
New American Standard Bible
When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; And if you run, you will not stumble.
World English Bible
When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Whe thou goest, thy gate shal not be strait, and when thou runnest, thou shalt not fall.
Legacy Standard Bible
When you walk, your steps will not be impeded;And if you run, you will not stumble.
Berean Standard Bible
When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; when you run, you will not stumble.
Contemporary English Version
Your road won't be blocked, and you won't stumble when you run.
Complete Jewish Bible
when you walk, your step won't be hindered; and if you run, you won't stumble.
Darby Translation
When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
Easy-to-Read Version
As you walk on it, you will not step into a trap. Even if you run, you will not trip and fall.
George Lamsa Translation
When you walk, your steps will not be unsteady; and when you run, you will not stumble.
Good News Translation
Nothing will stand in your way if you walk wisely, and you will not stumble when you run.
Lexham English Bible
When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble.
Literal Translation
when you go, your tracks shall not be narrowed, and when you run, you shall not stumble.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
So that yf thou goest therin, there shal no straytnesse hynder the: and when thou runnest, thou shalt not fall.
American Standard Version
When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; And if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
Bible in Basic English
When you go, your way will not be narrow, and in running you will not have a fall.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
When thou goest, thy step shall not be straitened; and if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
King James Version (1611)
When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitned, and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
So that if thou goest in them, there shall no straitnesse hinder thee: & when thou runnest, thou shalt not fall.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For when thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not be distressed.
English Revised Version
When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
In to whiche whanne thou hast entrid, thi goyngis schulen not be maad streit; and thou schalt rennen, and schalt not haue hirtyng.
Update Bible Version
When you go, your steps shall not be straitened; And if you run, you shall not stumble.
Webster's Bible Translation
When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
New Living Translation
When you walk, you won't be held back; when you run, you won't stumble.
New Life Bible
When you walk, your steps will not be stopped. If you run, you will not trip.
New Revised Standard
When you walk, your step will not be hampered; and if you run, you will not stumble.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
When thou walkest, thy step shall not be hemmed in, and, if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Which when thou shalt have entered, thy steps shall not be straitened, and when thou runnest, thou shalt not meet a stumblingblock.
Revised Standard Version
When you walk, your step will not be hampered; and if you run, you will not stumble.
Young's Literal Translation
In thy walking thy step is not straitened, And if thou runnest, thou stumblest not.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; And if you run, you will not stumble.

Contextual Overview

1 Hear, my children, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding; 2 For I give you good doctrine: Do not forsake my law. 3 When I was my father's son, Tender and the only one in the sight of my mother, 4 He also taught me, and said to me: "Let your heart retain my words; Keep my commands, and live. 5 Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. 6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you. 7 Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. 8 Exalt her, and she will promote you; She will bring you honor, when you embrace her. 9 She will place on your head an ornament of grace; A crown of glory she will deliver to you." 10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And the years of your life will be many.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

thou goest: Proverbs 6:22, 2 Samuel 22:37, Job 18:7, Job 18:8, Psalms 18:36

thou shalt: Proverbs 4:19, Proverbs 3:23, Psalms 91:11, Psalms 91:12, Psalms 119:165, Jeremiah 31:9, John 11:9, John 11:10, Romans 9:32, Romans 9:33, 1 Peter 2:8, 1 John 2:10, 1 John 2:11

Reciprocal: Proverbs 8:20 - lead 2 Corinthians 6:12 - are not

Cross-References

Genesis 4:3
And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD.
Genesis 4:4
Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering,
Genesis 4:14
Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me."
Genesis 4:17
And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son--Enoch.
Genesis 4:18
To Enoch was born Irad; and Irad begot Mehujael, and Mehujael begot Methushael, and Methushael begot Lamech.
Genesis 4:23
Then Lamech said to his wives: "Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; Wives of Lamech, listen to my speech! For I have killed a man for wounding me, Even a young man for hurting me.
Genesis 4:24
If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, Then Lamech seventy-sevenfold."
Leviticus 26:20
And your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield its produce, nor shall the trees of the land yield their fruit.
Leviticus 26:36
"And as for those of you who are left, I will send faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; the sound of a shaken leaf shall cause them to flee; they shall flee as though fleeing from a sword, and they shall fall when no one pursues.
Psalms 109:10
Let his children continually be vagabonds, and beg;Let them seek their bread [fn] also from their desolate places.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened,.... By enemies, or attended with difficulties and obstructions, or subject to dangers, but be at freedom and liberty in walking; for though saints do not walk in the broad road with sinners, yet they are brought into a large place, and their steps are enlarged under them, and their hearts are enlarged to run the way of God's commandments; and a wide field of truth and duty such have to walk in, who are taught and led in the ways of wisdom and righteousness, Psalms 18:19;

and when thou runnest, thou shall not stumble; such that make haste to keep the commandments of God, that run with alacrity and cheerfulness in their Christian race, and in the way of their duty, shall not stumble, through the deceitfulness of sin, the snares of the world, and the temptations of Satan, so as to fall and perish.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The counsel which has come to him, in substance, from his father. Compare it with 2 Samuel 23:2 etc.; 1 Chronicles 28:9; 1 Chronicles 29:17; Psalms 15:1-5; Psalms 24:1-10; Psalms 37:0.

Proverbs 4:7

Or, “The beginning of wisdom is - get wisdom.” To seek is to find, to desire is to obtain.

Proverbs 4:12

The ever-recurring parable of the journey of life. In the way of wisdom the path is clear and open, obstacles disappear; in the quickest activity (“when thou runnest”) there is no risk of falling.

Proverbs 4:13

She is thy life - Another parallel between personified Wisdom in this book and the Incarnate Wisdom in John 1:4.

Proverbs 4:16

A fearful stage of debasement. Sin is the condition without which there can be no repose.

Proverbs 4:17

i. e., Bread and wine gained by unjust deeds. Compare Amos 2:8. A less probable interpretation is, “They eat wickedness as bread, and drink violence as wine.” Compare Job 15:16; Job 34:7.

Proverbs 4:18

Shining ... shineth - The two Hebrew words are different; the first having the sense of bright or clear. The beauty of a cloudless sunshine growing on, shining as it goes, to the full and perfect day, is chosen as the fittest figure of the ever increasing brightness of the good man’s life. Compare the marginal reference.

Proverbs 4:19

Compare our Lord’s teaching John 11:10; John 12:35.

Proverbs 4:20

The teacher speaks again in his own person.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 4:12. Thy steps shall not be straitened — True wisdom will teach thee to keep out of embarrassments. A man under the influence of true religion ponders his paths, and carefully poises occurring circumstances; and as the fear of God will ever lead him to act an upright and honest part, so his way in business and life is both clear and large. He has no by-ends to serve; he speculates not; he uses neither trick nor cunning to effect any purpose. Such a man can never be embarrassed. His steps are not straitened; he sees his way always plain; and when a favourable tide of Providence shows him the necessity of increased exertion, he runs, and is in no danger of stumbling.


 
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