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KING JAMES BIBLE · PCE

Proverbs 4:16–20

TEXT EDITION
Pure Cambridge Edition selected
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.
The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
¶ My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
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PASSAGE SELECTION

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Choose up to 10 verses in this chapter. The study tools update with the selected passage.

SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE

Cross References

25 Essential passages are open for comparison.

Reference depth

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
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    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
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    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
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    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.

From verse 19

  1. John 12:35Rank 1 from verse 19
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    35Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.

  2. Isaiah 59:9–10Rank 2 from verse 19
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    9¶ Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.

    10We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.

  3. Jeremiah 23:12Rank 3 from verse 19
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    12Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the Lord.

  4. Job 18:5–6Rank 4 from verse 19
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    5Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine.

    6The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him.

  5. 1 Samuel 2:9Rank 5 from verse 19
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    9He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.

From verse 20

  1. Proverbs 5:1Rank 1 from verse 20
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    1MY son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:

  2. Isaiah 55:3Rank 2 from verse 20
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    3Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

  3. Proverbs 6:20–21Rank 3 from verse 20
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    20¶ My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

    21Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.

  4. Proverbs 7:1Rank 4 from verse 20
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    1MY son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.

  5. Psalms 78:1Rank 5 from verse 20
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    1GIVE ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

WORDS IN THIS PASSAGE

Definitions

Open a word for its full definition and concordance.

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

DEFINED WORDS

Proverbs 4:19

COMBINED MEANING

darkness

↗

Sense 1: Absence of light. Sense 2: Obscurity, ignorance, distress, or moral evil by figure.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

know

↗

To perceive, understand, recognize, experience, or be assured of something.

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 4:20

COMBINED MEANING

son

↗

1. A male child or descendant. 2. One belonging to, related to, or characterized by the person, people, place, condition, or quality named.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

attend

↗

1. To give heed, listen, or direct attention toward. 2. To wait upon, serve, or devote oneself to.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

words

↗

Spoken or written expressions, sayings, statements, messages, commands, promises, reports, or units of meaningful speech.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

incline

↗

To bend, bow, turn, tend, or direct toward; to direct one's attention or desire.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Cawdrey 1604

COMBINED MEANING

ear

↗

Sense 1: The organ of hearing. Sense 2: The seed-bearing head of grain.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

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Surrounding Verses

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

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.

Selected passage

20¶ My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

Selected passage

21Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.

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