Add parallel Print Page Options

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)

Read full chapter

“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.

Read full chapter

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.”

Read full chapter

17 Do not show partiality(A) in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of anyone,(B) for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it.”(C)

Read full chapter

19 You must not distort justice: you shall not show partiality;(A) you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes even of the wise and twists the words even of the just.

Read full chapter

19 Do not pervert justice(A) or show partiality.(B) Do not accept a bribe,(C) for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent.

Read full chapter

“How long will you judge unjustly
    and favor the cause of the wicked?(A)
Selah

Read full chapter

“How long will you[a] defend the unjust
    and show partiality(A) to the wicked?[b](B)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 82:2 The Hebrew is plural.
  2. Psalm 82:2 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.

V. Further Sayings of the Wise[a]

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

Read full chapter

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)

Read full chapter