'Ways' in the Bible

‘Do not defile yourselves by any of these things; for by all these the nations which I am casting out before you have become defiled.

You shall walk [that is, live each and every day] in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long in the land which you will possess.

Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk [that is, to live each and every day] in His ways and fear [and worship] Him [with awe-filled reverence and profound respect].

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear [and worship] the Lord your God [with awe-filled reverence and profound respect], to walk [that is, to live each and every day] in all His ways and to love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul [your choices, your thoughts, your whole being],

For if you are careful to keep all this commandment which I am commanding you to do, to love the Lord your God, to walk [that is, to live each and every day] in all His ways and to hold tightly to Him—

if you keep and carefully observe all these commandments which I am commanding you today, to love the Lord your God, and to walk [that is, to live each and every day] always in His ways—then you shall add three more cities [of refuge] for yourself, besides these three,

Today you have [openly] declared the Lord to be your God, and that you will walk [that is, live each and every day] in His ways and keep His statutes, His commandments, and His judgments (precepts), and listen to His voice.

“The Lord will cause the enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they will come out against you one way, but flee before you seven ways.

The Lord will establish you as a people holy [and set apart] to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk [that is, live your life each and every day] in His ways.

“The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you will go out against them one way, but flee before them seven ways, and you will be an example of terror to all the kingdoms of the earth [when they see your destruction].

and you will be groping at noon [in broad daylight], just as the blind grope in the darkness, and nothing you do will prosper; but you will only be oppressed and exploited and robbed continually, with no one to save you.

in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk [that is, to live each and every day] in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments (precepts), so that you will live and multiply, and that the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you are entering to possess.

“The Rock! His work is perfect,For all His ways are just;A God of faithfulness without iniquity (injustice),Just and upright is He.

Only be very careful and diligently observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord has commanded you to love the Lord your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul [your very life].”

His sons, however, did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.

and said to him, “Look, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint us a king to judge us [and rule over us] like all the other nations.”

So now listen to their voice; only solemnly warn them and tell them the ways of the king who will reign over them.”

He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them for himself to his chariots and among his horsemen and they will run before his chariots.

David acted wisely and prospered in all his ways, and the Lord was with him.

“For I have kept the ways of the Lord,And have not acted wickedly against my God.

Keep the charge of the Lord your God, [that is, fulfill your obligation to] walk in His ways, keep His statutes, His commandments, His precepts, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, so that you may succeed in everything that you do and wherever you turn,

then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive and act and give to each according to his ways, whose heart (mind) You know, for You and You alone know the hearts of all the children of men,

that He may guide our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways [following Him] and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His precepts which He commanded our fathers.

because they have abandoned Me and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the sons of Ammon; and they have not walked in My ways and followed My commandments, doing what is right in My sight and keeping My statutes and My ordinances as did his father David.

Then it shall be, that if you listen to all that I command you and walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight, keeping and observing My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build you an enduring house, as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you.

He walked in all the ways of Jeroboam the son of Nebat and in his sin, which he made Israel commit, provoking the Lord God of Israel, [to anger] with their idols.

He walked in all the ways of Asa his father, without turning from them, doing right in the sight of the Lord. However, the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

He did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the [idolatrous] way of his father [Ahab] and of his mother [Jezebel], and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin.

He served Baal and worshiped him, and he provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger, in accordance with everything that his father [Ahab] had done.

He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for [Athaliah] the daughter of Ahab became his wife. He did evil in the sight of the Lord.

He walked in the ways of the house of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the Lord, as did the house of Ahab, for he was a son-in-law of the house of Ahab.

Instead he walked in the way of the [idolatrous] kings of Israel, and even made his son pass through the fire [as a human sacrifice], in accordance with the repulsive [and idolatrous] practices of the [pagan] nations whom the Lord drove out before the Israelites.

Yet the Lord warned Israel and Judah through all His prophets and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments and My statutes, in accordance with all the Law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by My servants the prophets.”

He walked in all the [evil] ways that his father had walked; and he served the idols that his father had served, and worshiped them;

He did what was right in the sight of the Lord and walked in all the ways of his father (ancestor) David, and did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

then hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, and forgive, and render to each in accordance with all his ways, whose heart You know; for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men,

so that they may fear You, to walk in Your ways [in obedience to You] as long as they live in the land which You have given to our fathers.

and My people, who are called by My Name, humble themselves, and pray and seek (crave, require as a necessity) My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear [them] from heaven, and forgive their sin and heal their land.

So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam the son of Solomon for three years; for they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.

Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways and his sayings, are written in the writing of the prophet Iddo.

The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father (ancestor) David. He did not seek [to follow] the Baals [the false gods],

but sought the God of his father, and walked in (obeyed) His commandments, and did not act as Israel did.

His heart was encouraged and he took great pride in the ways of the Lord; moreover, he again removed the high places [of pagan worship] and the Asherim from Judah.

He walked in the way of his father Asa and did not depart from it, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord.

He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done (for he married the daughter of Ahab), and he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.

Then a letter came to Jehoram from Elijah the prophet, saying, “Thus says the Lord God of David your father (ancestor): ‘Because you have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah,

but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to be unfaithful [to God] as the house of Ahab was unfaithful, and you have also murdered your brothers, your father’s house (your own family), who were better than you,

He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his adviser [and she encouraged him] to act wickedly.

So Jotham grew powerful, because he directed his ways before the Lord his God.

Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars and his ways, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.

Instead he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and even made cast images for the Baals.

Now the rest of his acts and of all his ways, from the first to the last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father (forefather) and did not turn aside either to the right or to the left.

“Is not your fear of God your confidence,And [is not] the integrity and uprightness of your ways your hope?

“So are the paths of all who forget God;And the hope of the godless will perish,

“Even though He kills me;I will hope in Him.Nevertheless, I will argue my ways to His face.

“Nevertheless the righteous will hold to his ways,And he who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger.

“Yet they say to God, ‘Depart from us,For we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways.

“Is it any pleasure or joy to the Almighty that you are righteous?Or is it of benefit to Him that you make your ways perfect?

“You will also decide and decree a thing, and it will be established for you;And the light [of God’s favor] will shine upon your ways.

“My feet have carefully followed His steps;I have kept His ways and not turned aside.

“Others have been with those who rebel against the light;They do not want to know its waysNor stay in its paths.

“God gives them security, and they are supported;And His eyes are on their ways.

“Yet these are just the fringes of His ways [mere samples of His power],The faintest whisper of His voice!Who can contemplate the thunder of His [full] mighty power?”

“On my right the [rabble] brood rises;They push my feet away, and they build up their ways of destruction against me [like an advancing army].

“Does not God see my waysAnd count all my steps?

“For God pays a man according to his work,And He will make every man find [appropriate] compensation according to his way.

“For God’s eyes are on the ways of a man,And He sees all his steps.

“He breaks mighty men without inquiry,And sets others in their place.

Because they turned aside from following HimAnd would not consider or show regard for any of His ways,

His ways prosper at all times;Your judgments [Lord] are on high, out of his sight [so he never thinks about them];As for all his enemies, he sneers at them.

Concerning the deeds of men, by the word of Your lipsI have kept away from the paths of the violent.

For I have kept the ways of the Lord,And have not wickedly departed from my God.

Let me know Your ways, O Lord;Teach me Your paths.

I said, “I will guard my waysThat I may not sin with my tongue;I will muzzle my mouthWhile the wicked are in my presence.”

Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,And sinners shall be converted and return to You.

Surely God will shatter the head of His enemies,The hairy scalp of one who goes on in his guilty ways.

When God heard this, He was filled with [righteous] wrath;And utterly rejected Israel, [greatly hating her ways],

“Oh, that My people would listen to Me,That Israel would walk in My ways!

For He will command His angels in regard to you,To protect and defend and guard you in all your ways [of obedience and service].

“For forty years I was grieved and disgusted with that generation,And I said, ‘They are a people who err in their heart,And they do not acknowledge or regard My ways.’

He made known His ways [of righteousness and justice] to Moses,His acts to the children of Israel.

But they mingled with the [idolatrous] nationsAnd learned their ways,

They do no unrighteousness;They walk in His ways.

Oh, that my ways may be establishedTo observe and keep Your statutes [obediently accepting and honoring them]!

I will meditate on Your preceptsAnd [thoughtfully] regard Your ways [the path of life established by Your precepts].

I have told of my ways, and You have answered me;Teach me Your statutes.

Turn my eyes away from vanity [all those worldly, meaningless things that distract—let Your priorities be mine],And restore me [with renewed energy] in Your ways.

I considered my waysAnd turned my feet to [follow and obey] Your testimonies.

I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies,For all my ways are [fully known] before You.

But as for those who turn aside to their crooked ways [in unresponsiveness to God],The Lord will lead them away with those who do evil.Peace be upon Israel.

Blessed [happy and sheltered by God’s favor] is everyone who fears the Lord [and worships Him with obedience],Who walks in His ways and lives according to His commandments.

Yes, they will sing of the ways of the Lord [joyfully celebrating His wonderful acts],For great is the glory and majesty of the Lord.

You scrutinize my path and my lying down,And You are intimately acquainted with all my ways.

The Lord is [unwaveringly] righteous in all His waysAnd gracious and kind in all His works.

So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;Greed takes away the lives of its possessors.

From those who leave the paths of uprightnessTo walk in the ways of darkness;

Whose paths are crooked,And who are devious in their ways;

In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him,And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].

Her ways are highways of pleasantness and favor,And all her paths are peace.