Proverbs 4:16 (LSB)

Passage

For they do not sleep unless they do evil; And they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 4:14 Do not enter the path of wicked men And do not step into the way of evil men.

Proverbs 4:15 Avoid it, do not pass by it; Stray from it and pass on.

Proverbs 4:16 For they do not sleep unless they do evil; And they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble.

Proverbs 4:17 For they eat the bread of wickedness And drink the wine of violence.

Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the fullness of day.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sleep", "unless", "evil", "robbed", "make", and "someone". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sleep" and "unless", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "Avoid it do not pass by it..." into verse 17's "For they eat the bread of wickedness...", so "sleep" and "unless" belong inside that flow. In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "sleep" and "unless" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.