Proverbs 4:15-25

15 Avoid it. Do not walk near it. Turn away from it, and keep on walking.
16 Wicked people cannot sleep unless they do wrong, and they are robbed of their sleep unless they make someone stumble.
17 They eat food obtained through wrongdoing and drink wine obtained through violence.
18 But the path of righteous people is like the light of dawn that becomes brighter and brighter until it reaches midday.
19 The way of wicked people is like deep darkness. They do not know what makes them stumble.
20 My son, pay attention to my words. Open your ears to what I say.
21 Do not lose sight of these things. Keep them deep within your heart
22 because they are life to those who find them and they heal the whole body.
23 Guard your heart more than anything else, because the source of your life flows from it.
24 Remove dishonesty from your mouth. Put deceptive speech far away from your lips.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead and your sight be focused in front of you.

Proverbs 4:15-25 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PROVERBS 4

In this chapter Solomon advises to seek after wisdom, to avoid bad company, and to continue in the right paths of goodness and truth: he excites attention to what he had to say, from the relation he stood in to the persons addressed; from the nature of his instructions, which were good and profitable; and from his own example, in attending to those his parents gave him, Pr 4:1-4; He exhorts above all things to get wisdom, from the superior excellency of it, and from the preservation, promotion, and honour, to be had by it, Pr 4:5-9; and he further enforces big exhortations, from their being the means of a comfortable life, and of the prolongation of it, and of leading in a right way without straitness or stumbling, Pr 4:10-13. And then proceeds to caution against bad company, and going into a bad way of life; which is enforced from the mischief done by those that walk in it, and from the darkness of it, to which the path of the just is opposed, Pr 4:14-19. And the exhortation to attend to and observe his instructions, and keep them, is repeated, from the consideration of their being life and health to them, Pr 4:20-22; and that they might be preserved, and not departed from, direction's are given about ordering the heart, mouth, lips, eyes, and feet, Pr 4:23-27.

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