LISTEN
New American Standard Bible:
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.
New Living Translation:
The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.
New King James Version:
But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.
New International Version:
The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
Amplified Bible:
But the path of the just (righteous) is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until [it reaches its full strength and glory in] the perfect day.
Context:
This verse from Proverbs four analogizes the lives of godly people and what lies before them. It is in the midst of a collection of verses contrasting the path of righteousness with the path of sin and destruction.
Observations:
The path of the righteous is said to be like the morning sun, which continues to rise and shines brighter as the day goes on.
With God guiding and protecting the righteous, their lives become brighter and brighter. But we know something else about light … it helps lead people where they are going. So it is with righteous lives, which point to the Lord and lead others to him.
Application:
We want to live righteous lives like the one described here. A good way to understand how to do that is to immerse ourselves in God’s word. And a good chapter on understanding the difference between good and evil ways is Proverbs four.
