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16 (A)I charged your judges at that time, “Listen to complaints among your relatives, and administer true justice to both parties even if one of them is a resident alien. 17 In rendering judgment, do not consider who a person is; give ear to the lowly and to the great alike, fearing no one, for the judgment is God’s. Any case that is too difficult for you bring to me and I will hear it.”

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16 And I charged your judges at that time, “Hear the disputes between your people and judge(A) fairly,(B) whether the case is between two Israelites or between an Israelite and a foreigner residing among you.(C) 17 Do not show partiality(D) in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of anyone,(E) for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it.”(F)

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17 For the Lord, your God, is the God of gods, the Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who has no favorites, accepts no bribes,(A) 18 who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and loves the resident alien, giving them food and clothing.(B)

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17 For the Lord your God is God of gods(A) and Lord of lords,(B) the great God, mighty and awesome,(C) who shows no partiality(D) and accepts no bribes.(E) 18 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow,(F) and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.(G)

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You shall not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When testifying in a lawsuit, you shall not follow the crowd in perverting justice. You shall not favor the poor in a lawsuit.(A)

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“Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice(A) by siding with the crowd,(B) and do not show favoritism(C) to a poor person in a lawsuit.

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You shall not pervert justice for the needy among you in a lawsuit. You shall keep away from anything dishonest. The innocent and the just you shall not put to death, for I will not acquit the guilty. Never take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and distorts the words of the just.(A)

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“Do not deny justice(A) to your poor people in their lawsuits. Have nothing to do with a false charge(B) and do not put an innocent(C) or honest person to death,(D) for I will not acquit the guilty.(E)

“Do not accept a bribe,(F) for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the innocent.

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15 You shall not act dishonestly in rendering judgment. Show neither partiality to the weak nor deference to the mighty, but judge your neighbor justly.(A)

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15 “‘Do not pervert justice;(A) do not show partiality(B) to the poor or favoritism to the great,(C) but judge your neighbor fairly.(D)

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23 A guilty person takes out a bribe from the pocket,
    thus perverting the course of justice.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 17:23 A sharp look at the sly withdrawing of a bribe from the pocket and a blunt judgment on its significance.

23 The wicked accept bribes(A) in secret
    to pervert the course of justice.(B)

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It is not good to favor the guilty,
    nor to reject the claim of the just.(A)

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It is not good to be partial to the wicked(A)
    and so deprive the innocent of justice.(B)

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V. Further Sayings of the Wise[a]

23 These also are Words of the Wise:
To show partiality in judgment is not good.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 24:23–34

    A little collection between the thirty sayings of 22:17–24:22 and the Hezekiah collection in chaps. 25–29. Its title (v. 23) suggests that editors took it as an appendix. At this point, the Greek edition of Proverbs begins to arrange the later sections of the book in a different order than the Hebrew edition.

    An editor has arranged originally separate sayings into two parallel groups.

    I.II.
    Conduct in court:Judges (vv. 24–25)Witnesses (v. 28)
    Speaking, thinking:Good speech (v. 26)Bad speech (v. 29)
    Wisdom in work:Positive (v. 27)Negative (vv. 30–34)

Further Sayings of the Wise

23 These also are sayings of the wise:(A)

To show partiality(B) in judging is not good:(C)

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23 Your princes are rebels
    and comrades of thieves;
Each one of them loves a bribe
    and looks for gifts.
The fatherless they do not defend,
    the widow’s plea does not reach them.(A)

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23 Your rulers are rebels,(A)
    partners with thieves;(B)
they all love bribes(C)
    and chase after gifts.
They do not defend the cause of the fatherless;
    the widow’s case does not come before them.(D)

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Their hands succeed at evil;
    the prince makes demands,
The judge is bought for a price,
    the powerful speak as they please.(A)

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Both hands are skilled in doing evil;(A)
    the ruler demands gifts,
the judge accepts bribes,(B)
    the powerful dictate what they desire—
    they all conspire together.

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24 Stop judging by appearances, but judge justly.”(A)

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24 Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”(A)

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But if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.(A)

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But if you show favoritism,(A) you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.(B)

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