complete verse (Proverbs 4:15)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 4:15:

  • Kupsabiny: “Avoid and remove yourself from their paths/ways and follow your own way/path only.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Don’t think like that,
    Don’t go on that kind of way.
    Stay far away from them.
    and go on your own path.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Avoid [intensifier] that and you (sing.) will-continue in your (sing.) righteous living.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Go-far-from those-who-are-doing-evil, turn-your(sing.)-back-on and abandon them.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Proverbs 4:15

“Avoid it; do not go on it”: “Avoid” here means to shun or keep away from, and “it” refers to the path or way of evildoers. In translation it may be necessary to say, for example, “Stay away from their path” or “Do not walk on it.” If the figure must be changed to an expression of the meaning in plain terms, we may say, for example, “Avoid their way of life” or “Do not live the way they live.” “Do not go on it” repeats the first command to avoid the path of evil people. We may translate, for example, “do not walk where they walk” or “do not go where they go.”

“Turn away from it and pass on”: If in your language “turn away from” in this context has a meaning that is different from “avoid,” “refuse,” or “reject,” then another suitable figure or an expression of the meaning in plain terms should be used. It may be possible to say, for example, “Refuse their kind of life,” “Keep away from. . .,” or “Hold back from. . ..” “Pass on” continues the image of movement away from evil people’s influence, which may be expressed nonfiguratively, for example, “Pay no attention to them” or “Think nothing more of them.”

The series of four imperatives in this verse makes a strong impact as the climax of the warning to avoid the ways of evil people. Translators should be able to reproduce this in most languages; one typical rendering is “Don’t go this way! Keep away from these bad things! Leave them! Go only on your own way!”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 4:15

4:15

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

15a
Avoid it; do not travel on it.

15b
Turn from it and pass on by.

This verse describes a situation in which the path of the young man crosses or comes close to the path of wicked people. When this happens, the young man should change his course and keep going without stopping.

4:15a–b

Avoid it; do not travel on it. Turn from it: Notice that the first three commands have similar meanings to the commands in 4:14. By giving one command after another, the father emphasizes that it is important to totally avoid evil behavior. The first verb literally means “avoid” or “shun” (the evil path). The third verb means “swerve aside” or “change direction.”

4:15b

pass on by: The Hebrew verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as pass on by usually means “cross,” “pass through” or “move from one place to another.” In this context, it means “keep going without stopping.” Other ways to translate this command are:

keep going (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
keep on walking (God’s Word)

General Comment on 4:15a–b

The first meaning lines in the Display for 4:15a and 4:15b keep the figure of walking on a path. The second meaning lines translate the meaning without using this figure of speech.

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