Parallel Verses

New American Standard Bible

You shall not distort justice; you shall not be partial, and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.

King James Version

Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.

Holman Bible

Do not deny justice or show partiality to anyone. Do not accept a bribe, for it blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.

International Standard Version

You must not twist justice, show favoritism, or take bribes, because a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the speech of the righteous.

A Conservative Version

Thou shall not distort justice. Thou shall not respect persons, neither shall thou take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise, and perverts the words of the righteous.

American Standard Version

Thou shalt not wrest justice: thou shalt not respect persons; neither shalt thou take a bribe; for a bribe doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.

Amplified

You shall not distort justice; you shall not be partial, and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.

Bible in Basic English

You are not to be moved in your judging by a man's position, you are not to take rewards; for rewards make the eyes of the wise man blind, and the decisions of the upright false.

Darby Translation

Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a bribe; for the bribe blindeth the eyes of the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.

Julia Smith Translation

Thou shalt not turn away Judgment; thou shalt not look upon and thou shalt not take a gift, for the gift will blind the eyes of the wise and will pervert the words of the just.

King James 2000

You shall not pervert judgment; you shall not show partiality, neither take a bribe: for a bribe does blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.

Lexham Expanded Bible

You shall not subvert justice; you shall not {show partiality}; and you shall not take a bribe, for the bribe makes blind [the] eyes of [the] wise and misrepresents [the] words of [the] righteous.

Modern King James verseion

You shall not pervert judgment; you shall not respect persons, nor take a gift. For a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.

Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale

Wrest not the law, nor know any person, neither take any reward: for gifts blind the wise and pervert the words of the righteous.

NET Bible

You must not pervert justice or show favor. Do not take a bribe, for bribes blind the eyes of the wise and distort the words of the righteous.

New Heart English Bible

You shall not wrest justice: you shall not respect persons; neither shall you take a bribe; for a bribe does blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.

The Emphasized Bible

Thou shalt not wrest judgment, thou shalt not take note of faces, - nor shalt thou accept a bribe, for the bribe, blindeth the eyes of wise men, and perverteth the words of righteous men.

Webster

Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift; for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.

World English Bible

You shall not wrest justice: you shall not respect persons; neither shall you take a bribe; for a bribe does blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.

Youngs Literal Translation

Thou dost not turn aside judgment; thou dost not discern faces, nor take a bribe, for the bribe blindeth the eyes of the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.

Interlinear

English(KJV)
Strong's
Root Form
Definition
Usage
thou shalt not respect
נכר 
Nakar 
Usage: 49

פּנים 
Paniym 
Usage: 2119

לקח 
Laqach 
Usage: 966

a gift
שׁחד 
Shachad 
Usage: 23

for a gift
שׁחד 
Shachad 
Usage: 23

עור 
`avar 
Usage: 5

the eyes
עין 
`ayin 
Usage: 372

of the wise
חכם 
Chakam 
Usage: 137

and pervert
סלף 
Calaph 
Usage: 7

the words
דּבר 
Dabar 
Usage: 1438

References

Easton

Fausets

Hastings

Morish

Watsons

Context Readings

Appointing Judges And Officials

18 "You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. 19 You shall not distort justice; you shall not be partial, and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous. 20 Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

Cross References

Exodus 23:2

You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice,

Leviticus 19:15

"You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.

Ecclesiastes 7:7

Surely oppression drives the wise into madness, and a bribe corrupts the heart.

Exodus 23:6-8

"You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his lawsuit.

Deuteronomy 10:17

For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe.

Deuteronomy 24:17

"You shall not pervert the justice due to the sojourner or to the fatherless, or take a widow's garment in pledge,

Deuteronomy 27:19

"'Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

Proverbs 17:23

The wicked accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the ways of justice.

Proverbs 24:23

These also are sayings of the wise. Partiality in judging is not good.

Deuteronomy 1:16-17

And I charged your judges at that time, 'Hear the cases between your brothers, and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the alien who is with him.

1 Samuel 8:3

Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice.

1 Samuel 12:3

Here I am; testify against me before the LORD and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me and I will restore it to you."

Job 31:21-22

if I have raised my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate,

Proverbs 24:28

Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips.

Isaiah 1:17

learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause.

Isaiah 1:23

Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts. They do not bring justice to the fatherless, and the widow's cause does not come to them.

Isaiah 33:15

He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking on evil,

Jeremiah 5:28

they have grown fat and sleek. They know no bounds in deeds of evil; they judge not with justice the cause of the fatherless, to make it prosper, and they do not defend the rights of the needy.

Ezekiel 22:12

In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take interest and profit and make gain of your neighbors by extortion; but me you have forgotten, declares the Lord GOD.

Micah 7:3

Their hands are on what is evil, to do it well; the prince and the judge ask for a bribe, and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul; thus they weave it together.

Habakkuk 1:4

So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted.

Zephaniah 3:3-5

Her officials within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves that leave nothing till the morning.

Acts 10:34

So Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I understand that God shows no partiality,

Acts 16:37

But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out."

Acts 23:3

Then Paul said to him, "God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?"

King James Version Public Domain

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers.

International Standard Version Copyright © 1996-2008 by the ISV Foundation.

New American Standard Bible Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

American Standard Version Public Domain

NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. NetBible

Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute - public domain