Avoiding the wicked path: 'Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers.' 'Set foot' (bo ya'amod) echoes the earlier warning not to walk with sinners. 'Path of the wicked' (nativ tzaddiqim) and 'way of evildoers' (derekh ratzel) parallel the alternative ways before the young person. The imperative is absolute: avoid these paths entirely. The metaphor suggests that the wicked walk paths that lead somewhere; the young person must turn away before he has even begun to walk them. Prevention through vigilance is better than attempting to recover once one has gone far down the wrong path.

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