Lectionary Calendar
Monday, August 18th, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
Attention!
For 10¢ a day you can enjoy StudyLight.org ads
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

New Life Version

Proverbs 4:14

Do not go on the path of the sinful. Do not walk in the way of bad men.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Company;   Fellowship;   Temptation;   Young Men;   Thompson Chain Reference - Association-Separation;   Associations;   Evil;   Names;   Resist Temptation;   Temptation;   Titles and Names;   The Topic Concordance - Evil;   Turning;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Alliance and Society with the Enemies of God;   Temptation;   Titles and Names of the Wicked;  

Dictionaries:

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

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Go;  

Devotionals:

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

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Keep off the path of the wicked;don’t proceed on the way of evil ones.
Hebrew Names Version
Don't enter into the path of the wicked. Don't walk in the way of evil men.
King James Version
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
English Standard Version
Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil.
New Century Version
Don't follow the ways of the wicked; don't do what evil people do.
New English Translation
Do not enter the path of the wicked or walk in the way of those who are evil.
Amplified Bible
Do not enter the path of the wicked, And do not go the way of evil men.
New American Standard Bible
Do not enter the path of the wicked And do not proceed in the way of evil people.
World English Bible
Don't enter into the path of the wicked. Don't walk in the way of evil men.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Enter not into the way of the wicked, and walke not in the way of euill men.
Legacy Standard Bible
Do not enter the path of wicked menAnd do not step into the way of evil men.
Berean Standard Bible
Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men.
Contemporary English Version
Don't follow the bad example of cruel and evil people.
Complete Jewish Bible
Don't follow the path of the wicked or walk on the way of evildoers.
Darby Translation
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil [men]:
Easy-to-Read Version
Don't take the path of the wicked; don't follow those who do evil.
George Lamsa Translation
Do not walk in the way of evil men, and do not envy the way of the wicked.
Good News Translation
Do not go where evil people go. Do not follow the example of the wicked.
Lexham English Bible
In the path of the wicked do not go; do not walk in the way of those who do evil.
Literal Translation
Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not go in the way of evildoers.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Come not in the path of the vngodly, and walke not in the waye of the wicked.
American Standard Version
Enter not into the path of the wicked, And walk not in the way of evil men.
Bible in Basic English
Do not go in the road of sinners, or be walking in the way of evil men.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and walk not in the way of evil men.
King James Version (1611)
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and goe not in the way of euill men.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Come not in the pathe of the vngodlye, and walke not in the way of the wicked:
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Go not in the ways of the ungodly, neither covet the ways of transgressors.
English Revised Version
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and walk not in the way of evil men.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Delite thou not in the pathis of wyckid men; and the weie of yuele men plese not thee.
Update Bible Version
Don't enter into the path of the wicked, And don't walk in the way of evil men.
Webster's Bible Translation
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil [men].
New King James Version
Do not enter the path of the wicked, And do not walk in the way of evil.
New Living Translation
Don't do as the wicked do, and don't follow the path of evildoers.
New Revised Standard
Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evildoers.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Upon the path of the lawless, do not thou enter, and do not advance in the way of the wicked:
Douay-Rheims Bible
Be not delighted in the paths of the wicked, neither let the way of evil men please thee.
Revised Standard Version
Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evil men.
Young's Literal Translation
Into the path of the wicked enter not, And be not happy in a way of evil doers.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Do not enter the path of the wicked And do not proceed in the way of evil men.

Contextual Overview

14 Do not go on the path of the sinful. Do not walk in the way of bad men. 15 Stay away from it. Do not pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on. 16 For they cannot sleep unless they do wrong. They are robbed of sleep unless they make someone fall. 17 For they eat the bread of sin, and drink the wine of wrong-doing. 18 But the way of those who are right is like the early morning light. It shines brighter and brighter until the perfect day. 19 The way of the sinful is like darkness. They do not know what they trip over.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Proverbs 1:10, Proverbs 1:15, Proverbs 2:11, Proverbs 2:12, Proverbs 9:6, Proverbs 13:20, Psalms 1:1, Psalms 26:4, Psalms 26:5, 1 Corinthians 15:33

Reciprocal: Exodus 23:2 - follow Exodus 23:7 - far from Joshua 23:7 - That ye come Job 34:8 - General Proverbs 7:8 - General Proverbs 7:25 - thine Proverbs 12:11 - he that followeth Matthew 26:41 - enter Ephesians 5:11 - no

Cross-References

Genesis 4:5
But He had no respect for Cain and his gift. So Cain became very angry and his face became sad.
Genesis 4:6
Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why are you looking down?
Genesis 4:11
Now you are cursed because of the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.
Genesis 4:12
When you work the ground, it will no longer give its strength to you. You will always travel from place to place on the earth."
Genesis 4:13
Then Cain said to the Lord, "I am being punished more than I can take!
Genesis 4:14
See, this day You have made me go away from the land. And I will be hidden from Your face. I will run away and move from place to place. And whoever finds me will kill me."
Genesis 4:15
So the Lord said to him, "Whoever kills Cain will be punished by Me seven times worse." And the Lord put a mark on Cain so that any one who found him would not kill him.
Genesis 4:16
Then Cain went away from the face of the Lord, and stayed in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
Genesis 4:20
Adah gave birth to Jabal. He was the father of those who live in tents and have cattle.
Genesis 4:24
If those who hurt Cain are punished seven times worse, then those who hurt Lamech will be punished seventy-seven times worse."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Enter not into the path of the wicked,.... Which leads to eternal death; join not with them in their wicked ways and practices; have no fellowship, keep no company, with them; do not set one foot in the path they tread, lest thou shouldest be tempted to proceed to more ungodliness; you do not know where and when there will be a stop, when once you begin, therefore enter not. The Vulgate Latin version is, "do not delight in the paths of the ungodly": but this supposes not only entrance, but progress and continuance in them, whereas the first is dehorted from in these words:

and go not in the way of evil [men]; if tempted and prevailed upon to take a step and make a trial, do not proceed; withdraw at once, do not go on. Some render it, seeing the word used has sometimes the signification of blessedness in it, "do not esteem the way of evil men blessed" y; nor reckon thyself or them happy that walk in such ways; they are far from it: hence the Targum, Septuagint, and Syriac versions are, "do not envy the ways of wicked men"; their seeming pleasure will end in bitterness: the Arabic version is, "do not imitate" them; do not follow their example, and do as they do.

y תאשר בדרך רעים "in via malorum ne te beatum existimes", Tiguriue version; "ne beatam praedices viam malorum", Michaelis.

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 4:14. Enter not into the path of the wicked — Never associate with those whose life is irregular and sinful; never accompany them in any of their acts of transgression.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile