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 Appoint judges and officers for your tribes in every city Jehovah your God gives you. They are to judge the people fairly. 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 Only strive for justice so you will live and take possession of the land that Jehovah your God is giving you.

Cross References

Exodus 23:2

Do not follow the majority to do wrong. Do not give testimony that perverts justice.

Leviticus 19:15

Do no injustice in judgment. Do not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great. Judge your neighbor fairly.

Ecclesiastes 7:7

Oppression makes a wise man foolish (emotionally unstable) (mentally ill) and a bribe destroys the heart.

Exodus 23:6-8

Do not deny justice to a poor person at his trial.

Deuteronomy 10:17

Jehovah your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords! He is the great, the powerful, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe.

Deuteronomy 24:17

Do not pervert the justice due an alien or an orphan. Do not take a widow's garment in pledge.

Deuteronomy 27:19

Cursed is he who withholds justice due an alien, orphan, and widow. The people all say: Amen.

Proverbs 17:23

A wicked man takes a bribe to pervert the ways of judgment.

Proverbs 24:23

These sayings belong to the wise. It is not good to show partiality in judgment.

Deuteronomy 1:16-17

I charged your judges to hear the cases between your countrymen and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger with him.

1 Samuel 8:3

The sons did not follow their father's example but turned to dishonest ways of making money. They took bribes and denied people justice.

1 Samuel 12:3

Here I am! Testify against me before Jehovah and before his anointed one. Whose bull have I stolen? Whose donkey have I taken? Have I cheated anyone? Have I oppressed any? Have I ever taken a bribe? Tell me and I will make it right.

Job 31:21-22

if I have raised my hand against the orphan, because I saw I had supporters at the gate;

Proverbs 24:28

Do not witness against your neighbor without cause. Do not deceive with you lips.

Isaiah 1:17

Learn to do good (well) (right). Seek justice. Correct oppressors. Defend orphans. Plead the case of widows.

Isaiah 1:23

Your rulers are rebels, friends with thieves. They all love bribes and run after gifts. They never defend orphans. They do not listen to the widows' pleas.

Isaiah 33:15

He who walks righteously and speaks what is right, who rejects gain from extortion and keeps his hand from accepting bribes, who stops his ears against plots of murder and shuts his eyes against contemplating evil.

Jeremiah 5:28

They grow big and fat. Their evil deeds have no limits. They have no respect for the rights of others. They have no respect for the rights of orphans. But they still prosper. They do not defend the rights of the poor.

Ezekiel 22:12

Some of your people murder for pay. Some charge interest on the loans they make to other Israelites and get rich by taking advantage of them. They have forgotten me. The Lord Jehovah has spoken.

Micah 7:3

They diligently seek to do evil with their hands. The prince asks and the judge is ready for a bribe. The great man utters his own evil desire. They weave it together.

Habakkuk 1:4

The law is paralyzed and justice is never delivered. The wicked surround the righteous and deliver perverted justice.

Zephaniah 3:3-5

Her princes (rulers) within her are roaring lions. Her judges are evening wolves. They leave nothing till the morning.

Acts 10:34

Peter opened his mouth, and said, I truly perceive that God shows no partiality.

Acts 16:37

Paul said to them: They have beaten us publicly uncondemned, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison. Do they now throw us out privately? No I say, but let them come in person to bring us out.

Acts 23:3

Paul said to him: God will strike you, white washed wall! Do you sit judging me according to the Law, and against law command 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

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