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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

Proverbs 4:19

But the path of the wicked is like a dark night. They trip and fall over what they cannot see.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Blindness;   Wisdom;   Young Men;   Thompson Chain Reference - Dark Way;   Light-Darkness;   Walking;   Way;   The Topic Concordance - Darkness;   Stumbling/slipping;   Ways;   Wickedness;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Light;   Way;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Darkness;   Proverbs, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Old Testament (Ii. Christ as Student and Interpreter of).;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Proverbs book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- The Jewish Encyclopedia - Midrash Haggadah;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for March 31;   Every Day Light - Devotion for February 4;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom;they don’t know what makes them stumble.
Hebrew Names Version
The way of the wicked is like darkness. They don't know what they stumble over.
King James Version
The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
English Standard Version
The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.
New Century Version
But the wicked walk around in the dark; they can't even see what makes them stumble.
New English Translation
The way of the wicked is like gloomy darkness; they do not know what causes them to stumble.
Amplified Bible
The way of the wicked is like [deep] darkness; They do not know over what they stumble.
New American Standard Bible
The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know over what they stumble.
World English Bible
The way of the wicked is like darkness. They don't know what they stumble over.
Geneva Bible (1587)
The way of the wicked is as the darkenes: they knowe not wherein they shall fall.
Legacy Standard Bible
The way of the wicked is like thick darkness;They do not know over what they stumble.
Berean Standard Bible
But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they do not know what makes them stumble.
Contemporary English Version
The lifestyle of the wicked is like total darkness, and they will never know what makes them stumble.
Complete Jewish Bible
The way of the wicked is like darkness; they don't even know what makes them stumble.
Darby Translation
The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
George Lamsa Translation
The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know at what they stumble.
Good News Translation
The road of the wicked, however, is dark as night. They fall, but cannot see what they have stumbled over.
Lexham English Bible
The way of the wicked ones is like deep darkness; they do not know what they stumble over.
Literal Translation
The way of the wicked is as darkness; they do not know at what they stumble.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But ye waye of the vngodly is as the darcknesse, wherin me fall, or they be awarre.
American Standard Version
The way of the wicked is as darkness: They know not at what they stumble.
Bible in Basic English
The way of sinners is dark; they see not the cause of their fall.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
The way of the wicked is as darkness; they know not at what they stumble.
King James Version (1611)
The way of the wicked is as darknes: they know not at what they stumble.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But the way of the vngodly is as the darkenesse, they knowe not where they fall.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
But the ways of the ungodly are dark; they know not how they stumble.
English Revised Version
The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The weie of wickid men is derk; thei witen not where thei schulen falle.
Update Bible Version
The way of the wicked is as darkness: They don't know at what they stumble.
Webster's Bible Translation
The way of the wicked [is] as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
New King James Version
The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know what makes them stumble.
New Living Translation
But the way of the wicked is like total darkness. They have no idea what they are stumbling over.
New Life Bible
The way of the sinful is like darkness. They do not know what they trip over.
New Revised Standard
The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what they stumble over.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The way of the lawless, is like darkness, they know not, at what they stumble.
Douay-Rheims Bible
The way of the wicked is darksome: they know not where they fall.
Revised Standard Version
The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.
Young's Literal Translation
The way of the wicked [is] as darkness, They have not known at what they stumble.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know over what they stumble.

Contextual Overview

14 Don't take the path of the wicked; don't follow those who do evil. 15 Stay away from that path; don't even go near it. Turn around and go another way. 16 The wicked cannot sleep until they have done something evil. They will not rest until they bring someone down. 17 Evil and violence are their food and drink. 18 The path of those who live right is like the early morning light. It gets brighter and brighter until the full light of day. 19 But the path of the wicked is like a dark night. They trip and fall over what they cannot see.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

1 Samuel 2:9, Job 5:14, Job 12:25, Job 18:5, Job 18:6, Job 18:18, Isaiah 59:9, Isaiah 59:10, Jeremiah 13:16, Jeremiah 23:12, Matthew 7:23, Matthew 15:14, John 12:35, 1 John 2:11

Reciprocal: Exodus 10:21 - darkness Exodus 14:20 - General Deuteronomy 32:35 - their foot Judges 20:34 - knew not 2 Samuel 3:1 - David waxed Esther 8:16 - had light Job 19:8 - set Job 22:11 - darkness Job 24:13 - they know Job 38:15 - from Psalms 1:1 - way Psalms 35:6 - their Psalms 82:5 - walk Psalms 88:6 - darkness Psalms 146:9 - the way Proverbs 2:13 - walk Proverbs 4:12 - thou shalt Proverbs 13:15 - but Proverbs 15:9 - The way Ecclesiastes 2:13 - light Nahum 1:8 - darkness Zechariah 14:6 - not Matthew 25:8 - for Luke 11:36 - the whole John 11:10 - General 1 John 1:6 - walk Revelation 18:23 - the light Revelation 22:5 - no night

Cross-References

Genesis 2:18
Then the Lord God said, "I see that it is not good for the man to be alone. I will make the companion he needs, one just right for him."
Genesis 2:24
That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife. In this way two people become one.
Genesis 4:6
The Lord asked Cain, "Why are you angry? Why does your face look sad?
Matthew 19:8
Jesus answered, "Moses allowed you to divorce your wives because you refused to accept God's teaching. But divorce was not allowed in the beginning.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The way of the wicked [is] as darkness,.... They are in the darkness of sin, ignorance, error, and unbelief; their works are works of darkness; the way in which they are leads to eternal darkness, ruin, and misery, and so must be most uncomfortable and dangerous;

they know not at what they stumble; they stumble at the word, which they are ignorant of, and at Christ, whom they have no knowledge of; and through the temptations of Satan and snares of the world, which they are not aware of, nor upon their guard against.

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.


 
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