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KING JAMES BIBLE · PCE

Proverbs 4:11–18

TEXT EDITION
Pure Cambridge Edition selected
I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.
When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.
¶ Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.
For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
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PASSAGE SELECTION

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SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE

Cross References

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Reference depth

From verse 11

  1. Psalms 25:4–5Rank 1 from verse 11
    Open

    4Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths.

    5Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

  2. Ecclesiastes 12:9Rank 2 from verse 11
    Open

    9And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

  3. Proverbs 8:9Rank 3 from verse 11
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    9They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.

  4. 1 Samuel 12:23–24Rank 4 from verse 11
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    23Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way:

    24Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.

  5. Proverbs 8:6Rank 5 from verse 11
    Open

    6Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things.

From verse 12

  1. Proverbs 3:23Rank 1 from verse 12
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    23Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.

  2. Psalms 18:36Rank 2 from verse 12
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    36Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.

  3. 1 Peter 2:8Rank 3 from verse 12
    Open

    8And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

  4. 2 Samuel 22:37Rank 4 from verse 12
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    37Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip.

  5. John 11:9–10Rank 5 from verse 12
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    9Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.

    10But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.

From verse 13

  1. Hebrews 2:1Rank 1 from verse 13
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    1THEREFORE we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

  2. Proverbs 23:23Rank 2 from verse 13
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    23Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

  3. Proverbs 3:18Rank 3 from verse 13
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    18She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.

  4. 1 Thessalonians 5:21Rank 4 from verse 13
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    21Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

  5. Deuteronomy 32:47Rank 5 from verse 13
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    47For it is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life: and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the land, whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.

From verse 14

  1. Psalms 1:1Rank 1 from verse 14
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    1BLESSED is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

  2. 1 Corinthians 15:33Rank 2 from verse 14
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    33Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

  3. Proverbs 1:10Rank 3 from verse 14
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    10¶ My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

  4. Proverbs 1:15Rank 4 from verse 14
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    15My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:

  5. Proverbs 13:20Rank 5 from verse 14
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    20He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

From verse 15

  1. Ephesians 5:11Rank 1 from verse 15
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    11And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

  2. Job 22:23Rank 2 from verse 15
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    23If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.

  3. 1 Thessalonians 5:22Rank 3 from verse 15
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    22Abstain from all appearance of evil.

  4. Exodus 23:7Rank 4 from verse 15
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    7Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.

  5. Job 11:14Rank 5 from verse 15
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    14If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles.

From verse 16

  1. Psalms 36:4Rank 1 from verse 16
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    4He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.

  2. Micah 2:1Rank 2 from verse 16
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    1WOE to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand.

  3. Isaiah 57:20Rank 3 from verse 16
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    20But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.

  4. 2 Peter 2:14Rank 4 from verse 16
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    14Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

  5. Proverbs 1:16Rank 5 from verse 16
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    16For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

From verse 17

  1. James 5:4–5Rank 1 from verse 17
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    4Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.

    5Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.

  2. Micah 6:12Rank 2 from verse 17
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    12For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.

  3. Proverbs 20:17Rank 3 from verse 17
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    17Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

  4. Proverbs 9:17Rank 4 from verse 17
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    17Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.

  5. Psalms 14:4Rank 5 from verse 17
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    4Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the Lord.

From verse 18

  1. John 8:12Rank 1 from verse 18
    Open

    12¶ Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

  2. Job 11:17Rank 2 from verse 18
    Open

    17And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday; thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning.

  3. Daniel 12:3Rank 3 from verse 18
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    3And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

  4. Philippians 2:15Rank 4 from verse 18
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    15That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

  5. 2 Corinthians 3:18Rank 5 from verse 18
    Open

    18But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

WORDS IN THIS PASSAGE

Definitions

Open a word for its full definition and concordance.

DEFINED WORDS

Proverbs 4:11

COMBINED MEANING

in

↗

1. A preposition marking position, presence, state, circumstance, manner, means, sphere, reference, relation, association, or participation. 2. As an adverb, inward, inside, or into the place or position referred to.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

wisdom

↗

Knowledge, understanding, judgment, skill, or prudence.

Meaning drawn from: Direct Scripture definition · KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

right

↗

1. Correct, just, upright, proper, lawful, fitting, true, or due; also a rightful claim or authority. 2. The direction or side opposite the left. 3. Straight, favourable, skilful, or approved. 4. Very, quite, or fully.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

paths

↗

1. Figuratively, ways or courses of conduct, action, or direction. 2. Tracks, roads, routes, or ways of passage or travel.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

DEFINED WORDS

Proverbs 4:12

COMBINED MEANING

thou

↗

The singular second-person subject pronoun, meaning you when directly addressing one person, being, or individually treated addressee.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

steps

↗

Movements or paces of the feet; footsteps, courses, degrees, or stages in going.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

shall

↗

An auxiliary verb expressing future action, intention, promise, command, requirement, or determination.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

straitened

↗

1. Confined, narrowed, or restricted in room, movement, or power. 2. Inwardly pressed, distressed, or constrained. 3. Narrowed or restricted in affection or openness.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

runnest

↗

Second-person singular present form of run, meaning to move swiftly on foot; to flow, spread, proceed, continue, or carry out a course.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

stumble

↗

Sense 1: To trip, lose footing, or fall by striking against something. Sense 2: To err, fall, or be hindered figuratively. Sense 3: To cause another to trip, fall, err, or be hindered.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

DEFINED WORDS

Proverbs 4:13

COMBINED MEANING

take

↗

To receive, seize, carry, accept, choose, or lay hold of.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Skeat 1893

COMBINED MEANING

fast

↗

Sense 1: Firm, fixed, or secure. Sense 2: Moving quickly. Sense 3: A period or act of abstaining from food. Sense 4: To abstain from food for a time.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Skeat 1893

COMBINED MEANING

hold

↗

Sense 1: To grasp, seize, cling to, carry, wield, support, or keep fast, literally or figuratively. Sense 2: To keep, retain, possess, maintain, continue in, or adhere to. Sense 3: To restrain, confine, or keep back; to contain or have capacity. Sense 4: To regard, account, or judge. Sense 5: To conduct or celebrate an observance. Sense 6: To endure, prevail, or take effect. Sense 7: In hold one's peace or hold one's tongue, to remain silent. Sense 8: As a noun, a grasp or attachment; a place of confinement, refuge, security, or fortification.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Skeat 1893 · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

instruction

↗

Teaching or information that directs understanding and conduct; correction, discipline, or an instructive warning.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

let

↗

Sense 1: To allow or permit; in older KJV use, also to hinder or restrain. Sense 2: To lower or send down.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

keep

↗

To guard, watch, protect, preserve, secure, retain, possess, hold, maintain, support, tend, manage, observe, obey, fulfil, celebrate, continue in, refrain from, or remain faithful to a person, place, trust, command, promise, way, time, or thing.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

for

↗

1. In behalf of or in the place of. 2. With respect to, concerning, or toward. 3. Because of or on account of. 4. During or throughout. 5. In order to obtain or reach. 6. As a conjunction, because or seeing that.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

DEFINED WORDS

Proverbs 4:14

COMBINED MEANING

enter

↗

To go or come in; to penetrate; to become an ingredient or constituent part; to enter the mind.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

in

↗

1. A preposition marking position, presence, state, circumstance, manner, means, sphere, reference, relation, association, or participation. 2. As an adverb, inward, inside, or into the place or position referred to.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

evil

↗

Sense 1: Moral wickedness, sin, wrong, or corruption. Sense 2: Harm, misery, calamity, adversity, or punishment.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

DEFINED WORDS

Proverbs 4:15

COMBINED MEANING

avoid

↗

Sense 1: To depart, withdraw, escape, or shun. Sense 2: To prevent or take care to prevent.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

pass

↗

To go by, through, over, or beyond; to happen, cease, or be transferred.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

turn

↗

Sense 1: To change direction, position, condition, purpose, or allegiance; to cause such a change. Sense 2: One’s time or occasion in an order or succession.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

DEFINED WORDS

Proverbs 4:16

COMBINED MEANING

for

↗

1. In behalf of or in the place of. 2. With respect to, concerning, or toward. 3. Because of or on account of. 4. During or throughout. 5. In order to obtain or reach. 6. As a conjunction, because or seeing that.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

sleep

↗

Sense 1: Natural bodily rest with suspended waking activity; figuratively, inattention or inactivity; or death described as sleep. Sense 2: To rest in sleep; figuratively, to lie in death.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

except

↗

Sense 1: Unless; with the exclusion of; apart from. Sense 2: To exclude or leave out. Sense 3: To object or take exception.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

taken

↗

1. Received, accepted, or chosen. 2. Seized or captured. 3. Carried or laid hold of.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

unless

↗

Except; that is, remove or dismiss the fact or thing stated in the sentence or clause which follows.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

cause

↗

Sense 1: A reason, ground, matter in dispute, or judicial case. Sense 2: As a verb, to make something happen.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

fall

↗

Sense 1: To descend, drop, or lose an upright position. Sense 2: To be slain, defeated, overthrown, ruined, or brought down. Sense 3: To come upon or attack. Sense 4: To pass into a specified place, condition, power, or course, or to depart from a former standing. Sense 5: To happen, turn out, or be allotted. Sense 6: As a noun, descent, overthrow, ruin, or loss of standing.

Meaning drawn from: Direct Scripture definition · KJV context and cross-references · Skeat 1893 · Webster 1828

DEFINED WORDS

Proverbs 4:17

COMBINED MEANING

for

↗

1. In behalf of or in the place of. 2. With respect to, concerning, or toward. 3. Because of or on account of. 4. During or throughout. 5. In order to obtain or reach. 6. As a conjunction, because or seeing that.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

eat

↗

To take food into the body; to consume, devour, or waste away.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

wine

↗

The produce of grapes or other fruit used as a drink.

Meaning drawn from: Direct Scripture definition · KJV context and cross-references

DEFINED WORDS

Proverbs 4:18

COMBINED MEANING

but

↗

Sense 1: However; marking contrast or qualification. Sense 2: Except or unless; excluding all others or alternatives. Sense 3: Only; no more than what follows.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Skeat 1893 · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

shining

↗

Present-participial or verbal-noun form of shine, meaning to emit rays of light; to give light; to beam with steady radiance; to exhibit brightness or splendor. To give light, real or figurative.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

light

↗

Sense 1: Brightness or illumination. Sense 2: A source or opening that gives light. Sense 3: Figuratively, truth, knowledge, revelation, life, or favour contrasted with darkness. Sense 4: To illuminate or kindle. Sense 5: To alight or come upon. Sense 6: Slight, easy, swift, or not heavy.

Meaning drawn from: Direct Scripture definition · KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

perfect

↗

Complete, whole, sound, mature, upright, fully fitted, finished, exact, or lacking nothing required for the person, work, knowledge, state, purpose, or standard in view; to perfect is to bring to that intended completion or maturity.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

day

↗

Sense 1: Light or the period of light between morning and evening, as distinguished from night. Sense 2: A complete daily cycle. Sense 3: A specified time, occasion, period, age, or season.

Meaning drawn from: Direct Scripture definition · KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

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Surrounding Verses

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10Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.

11I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.

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12When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

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13Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

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14¶ Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.

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15Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

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16For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

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17For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

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18But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

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19The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

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