Proverbs 4:14 (KJV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

Proverbs 4:12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

Proverbs 4:13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

Proverbs 4:14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.

Proverbs 4:15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

Proverbs 4:16 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "enter", "path", "wicked", and "evil". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "enter" and "path", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 13's "Take fast hold of instruction let her..." into verse 15's "Avoid it pass not by it turn...", so "enter" and "path" 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 "enter" and "path" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.