“come with us.” This phrase is more powerful in Proverbs than we normally take it, due to the culture of the time and the vocabulary of traveling on a road or path as an idiom for a way of life. The sinners were not inviting the young man to go with them on a one-time crime spree; they were inviting him into a sinful and criminal way of life—one that would end in disaster here on earth and annihilation in the next life. The father understood that, so he says, “do not walk on the road with them,” meaning “do not get involved with that lifestyle” (Prov. 1:15).

What the naïve, inexperienced, simple, and foolish people don’t realize is that sin is not just an event, it becomes a lifestyle with tentacles that reach into every part of one’s life. Once someone gets involved in sin, the tendency is to go deeper and deeper into it, and it is extremely difficult to extract oneself from a sinful lifestyle. The best plan is the father’s plan—don’t get into it in the first place. The next best plan is that if you are caught up in sin, do what it takes to get out. There may be painful consequences here on earth, but they will be nothing compared to the eternal consequences you face after Judgment Day if you continue in sin. And always keep in mind that God wants people to repent and walk with him, and many people have humbled themselves, repented, and changed their lifestyle only to find that God gave them great grace and supported them in ways they could not have imagined while they were afraid and caught in sin.

“to shed blood.” The Hebrew phrase literally means “for blood,” which is a metonymy for the blood that is shed when someone is killed. The proverb is talking about ambushing an innocent person and violently murdering someone.