10 Hear, my son, and accept my words,
that the years of your life may be many.
11 I have taught you the way of wisdom;
I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
12 When you walk, your step will not be hampered,
and if you run, you will not stumble.
13 Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;
guard her, for she is your life.
14 Do not enter the path of the wicked,
and do not walk in the way of the evil.
15 Avoid it; do not go on it;
turn away from it and pass on.
16 For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;
they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
which shines brighter and brighter until full day.
19 The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know over what they stumble.
The earnest exhortation in 15 makes sound sense. None of us is so strong as to dabble with the forbidden thing in the mistaken supposition that we will not be contam- inated. To give it a wide berth is the safest course (cf 1 Corinthians 10;12). The two paths are contrasted in 18, 19. Bridges has a fine comment on 18: 'This is a fine picture of the Christian's path of light, in contrast with the dark and dangerous path of the wicked. It is not the feeble wasting light of a taper, not the momentary blaze of the meteor; but the grand luminary of heaven, 'coming out of his chamber, and rejoicing as a strong man to run his race' (Ps 19:5), from earliest dawn to noon-day glory. And a beautiful sight it is to see the soul thus rising out of darkness, beginning his course; rising higher and higher; taking in a wide circle; advancing onward with increasing brightness unto the perfect day. Knowledge - faith - love - holiness - irradiate every step. It is at first but a glimmer- ing ray - the first dawn of day. But 'following on' - the eye becomes more unveiled; the heart more enlightened; the truth more vividly impressed upon the conscience; the 'un- derstanding' more quick 'in the fear of the Lord'; the taste more discerning between good and evil. Faith now becomes more strong in the Saviour's love, more simple in the promises of God. Subjection to the Redeemer's sceptre is more unreserved; love rises to a higher estimation, to a closer union with Him - to a more intimate complacency in Him. Experience may be confused. But light will clear away the mists. Practice in some points may be inconsistent. But 'beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord we are changed into his image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord' (2 Corinthi- ans 3:18). Such is the godly man. Such is his path.'