King James Version

Proverbs 4:16

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

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Hebrew

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כִּ֤יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…לֹ֣אlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…יִֽ֭שְׁנוּyishnvoldיָשֵׁןverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “old”, an unfinished actionH3462properly, to be slack or languid, i.e. (by implication) sleep (figuratively, to die); also to grow old, stale or inveterateold (store), remain long, (make to) sleep.אִםimoh thatאִםconjunction — “oh that”H518used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), t…לֹ֣אlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…יָרֵ֑עוּyarevbe worseרָעַעverb, hiphil, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “be worse”, an unfinished actionH7489properly, to spoil (literally, by breaking to pieces); figuratively, to make (or be) good fornothing, i.e. bad (physically, socially or morally)afflict, associate selves (by mistake for H7462 (רָעָה)), break (down, in pieces), [phrase] displease, (be, bring, do) evil (doer, entreat, man), show self friendly (by mistake for H7462 (רָעָה)), do harm, (do) hurt, (behave self, deal) il…וְֽנִגְזְלָ֥הvenigzelahand robגָּזַלconjunction, verb, niphal, sequential perfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “and rob”, a completed action in a sequenceH1497to pluck off; specifically to flay, strip or robcatch, consume, exercise (robbery), pluck (off), rob, spoil, take away (by force, violence), tear.שְׁ֝נָתָ֗םshenatamsleepשֵׁנָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “sleep”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8142sleepsleep.אִםimoh thatאִםconjunction — “oh that”H518used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), t…לֹ֥אlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…יכשולוykhshvlvfallכָּשַׁלverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “fall”, an unfinished actionH3782to totter or waver (through weakness of the legs, especially the ankle); by implication, to falter, stumble, faint or fallbereave (from the margin), cast down, be decayed, (cause to) fail, (cause, make to) fall (down, -ing), feeble, be (the) ruin(-ed, of), (be) overthrown, (cause to) stumble, [idiom] utterly, be weak.יַכְשִֽׁילוּyakhshilvfallכָּשַׁלverb, hiphil, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “fall”, an unfinished actionH3782to totter or waver (through weakness of the legs, especially the ankle); by implication, to falter, stumble, faint or fallbereave (from the margin), cast down, be decayed, (cause to) fail, (cause, make to) fall (down, -ing), feeble, be (the) ruin(-ed, of), (be) overthrown, (cause to) stumble, [idiom] utterly, be weak.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

For they sleep not, except they have done evil; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

For they sleep not, except they do evil; And their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

Young’s Literal Translation

For they sleep not if they do not evil, And their sleep hath been taken violently away, If they cause not [some] to stumble.

World English Bible

For they don’t sleep unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.

Darby Translation

For they sleep not except they have done mischief, and their sleep is taken away unless they have caused [some] to fall.

Douay-Rheims

For they sleep not except they have done evil: and their sleep is taken away unless they have made some to fall.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

For they sleep not, except they have done evil; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

For they cannot sleep, unless they have done evil: their sleep is taken away, and they rest not.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Οὐ γὰρ μὴ ὑπνώσωσιν, ἐὰν μὴ κακοποιήσωσιν· ἀφῄρηται ὁ ὕπνος αὐτῶν, καὶ οὐ κοιμῶνται.